Let Me Explain
by NetsirkBlue
Summary: Odd tries to explain to Sissi what she really wants. Possible OSi.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Code Lyoko does **not** belong to me.

**A/N: **I haven't wrote any fanfics in awhile so I wasn't really certain about how this was going to turn out and I'm still not. It still has more chapters to come so all I can ask is for you to keep any questions or comments you have till the end of this chapter then send me a review.

Now I'm thinking at this certain time the pairing will probably end up: Odd/Sissi so if you don't like it don't read it. There is a slight chance I will change my mind before the end though and it will continue to be one-sided Sissi/Ulrich with no other major pairings what-so-ever.

So now that I ask now, after you read all that typed junk or not, that you please go ahead and **enjoy this story**.

**Summary: **Odd tries to explain to Sissi what she really wants.

* * *

Sometimes I think I love you.

Sometimes I think that's fine,

But sometimes I hate it,

Because you're always on my mind.

**It's obsession **claimed the scrawny boy and **it's unhealthy**.

Like Sissi cared what that oddball said, if she could just watch Ulrich a little longer. Nevertheless this annoyance just wouldn't buzz off. He wanted to know where her cronies were since they were so obviously falling over in love for her but she wouldn't comply. She hated those two they were almost as annoying as he was, _almost_.

"You know what's unhealthy Scrawny? The way you eat." Stifling anger she kept her eyes fixed upon Ulrich _dear_ as that good for nothing stick approached her well known crush and greeted him with blushing cheeks. In fact they were both blushing but she refused to admit that was _love_ between them.

"You're just upset you're five pounds over weight and I never gain any. You're jealous." He was leaning over her which was only possible from her sitting position on the ground because in reality he would never be able to reach her height if they were both standing now. "Just like you're **jealous **of Yumi."

She snorted "Sissi Delmas is never jealous."

"Oh!" Remarked the boy as if struck by sudden acknowledgement. He straightened up swinging his foot carelessly around so he was facing the other way. "That's right. You're the principal's daughter, most popular girl in school. You can have _anything_ you want if you just demand enough times that it is: handed to you."

Sissi knew at that moment Odd couldn't be complimenting her, there had to be something more and she just awaited it with a scowl. "So why is it, Miss Elisabeth Delmas that you are sitting here alone waiting for something you have demanded a hundred times and still haven't been given?"

She didn't even care that he called by her given name just what he said after it. "Ulrich will be with me!" She insisted sternly so why was that scrawny oddball laughing now? "What's so funny?"

"That's not what I was talking about."

"Then what are you-" Her question was interrupted as a beeping sounded from the pocket of the boy's purple pants. In an instant he had examined the screen and smiled a crazy smirk that made her wonder if the group was about to go skipping classes again.

This was answered with the boy's immediate departure. She left sitting there as footsteps faded out of existence to ponder what Odd had meant. She wanted Ulrich, what _else_ could she want? She would corner him later and find out. No she shouldn't let that freak bother her.

He bothered her all the time and she wouldn't let him trick her again.

* * *

**Why** was it then, that she was sitting there in the evening, watching as the familiar group was emerging from the forest?

**Why** was it that she was sitting on their usual bench just waiting for them to ignore her and insult her once more?

Then she smiled and sat upright making her presence known. She turned sideways and waved out "Ulrich Dear!" When he scowled at her and continued pass bringing Yumi in tow, why didn't she feel the betrayal that would usually befall her now?

The other three were passing now. The two geniuses brushing pretty close to one another as they went, heads bent in with whispers. The purple figure hanging contently back behind their shadows a smirk expression plastered upon his features as he strolled past.

They weren't walking any faster but were leaving him behind, actually he stopped.

This was her chance. "Hey Scrawny!"

Whatever daze he was in he snapped if only to defend his height. "I'm not scrawny I'm svelte!"

She rolled her eyes at him as neither moved. She wanted Ulrich for herself! Why had that thought suddenly popped in her head at a moment like this? Oh right, Della Robbia said she wanted something else what that was she could possibly imagine. Ulrich. Ulrich. **Ulrich!**

Maybe if he got to know her better: He wouldn't stand with in three feet of her.

Maybe if she could get closer to him: Yumi wouldn't allow it.

Maybe if she got Yumi to tolerate her: That stick would never accept her… unless she had to.

"OH! ODD!" The boy turned around puzzled by the sudden outburst. Might as well get this over with- "How would you like to go out with me, the most popular girl in school?" Funny he didn't even seem off guard by her question just tapped his index finger to his temple.

"I think… I'd like that." He paused just an instant before continuing "as much as I would like being deprived food." With that he turned and strolled off into the school. That's funny… she had thought he was already falling for her, that's what his less mocking attitude was leaning at lately.

Maybe he was just messing with her again.

It didn't matter though she would get to Ulrich yet, by going through Odd.

* * *

**A/N: **If I get reviews I bet the next chapter will come faster.


	2. You Don't Understand

**A/N: **I realized the first chapter didn't have a title but decided it didn't matter too much.

**Disclaimer: **It gets tiring to type it all the time. Code Lyoko obvious does not belong to me, if it did things would of went differently.

Chapter 2: You Don't Understand

The next day came quickly after a restless night of pondering how she was going to trick Odd.

It's not like the boy was all that bright, it seemed that he usually fell for any pretty girl that wandered by. She was **pretty**. How could Odd act like that? Like she wasn't pretty enough for that freak!

She kicked her blankets off and stormed off for the showers.

As far as she was concerned, she **was** the prettiest girl at this school. She could have any boy she wanted but maybe that was a lie. After all she couldn't have Ulrich- any other boy! Not Odd either.

She turned the knob for the hot water and stepped under the steaming liquid.

She would show them.

* * *

"I can't figure out why XANA keeps activating random towers."

XANA was always up to something, Odd couldn't imagine this would be any different. Currently his food was more interesting then whatever the 'future Einstein' went rambling on about. It wasn't as if he could understand half that genius talk. He would just wait till the end and ask for a translation.

"So Odd you going to tell me what you were laughing about when you came in the dorm last night?" Casting his roommate a sideways glance he smirked and was about to speak when he found his fork jabbing nothing but the plastic of his tray.

Out of food. "You going to eat tha-"

"YES!" That wasn't fair, shielding their food away from him.

Guess he would just have to go for seconds, after all, Rosa usually didn't mind giving him a second serving.

After a few comments about how scrawny he was he started walking back with a tray towered up with eggs and bits of sausage and bacon. He was halfway back to his friends when a hand grabbed him and swung him around causing his breakfast to tumble ungracefully to the floor.

"It's sad to see food go to waste on something that doesn't appreciate it."

"What's with you? Don't you have some stupid remark to make about me?"

Oh, Sissi. He glanced up at her with amused smile noticing how bothered she looked. Still thinking about what he said before? "Its okay Sissi _Dear_ I know you're _madly_ in love with me." A scowl was forming upon her features now.

"Listen up Odd I need what I want and I want to…" She averted her gaze causing Odd to become all the more curious to figure out where this was leading. It was pretty obvious though the way her eyes were lingering towards Ulrich. Good thing the group was too caught up to pay much notice to him and Sissi.

"I need you to make me _your_… girlfriend."

So the shoe was on the other foot: Or something like that…

"What's in it for me?"

"What makes you think I'm giving you anything!"

Odd shrugged his shoulders and strolled back to his table waiting secretly to see Sissi's next move. How desperate was she to get what she thought she wanted?

"I thought you were getting seconds."

"ODD!" Here came 'sweet' Sissi. The group turned their attention with both mild amusement and annoyance as she approached. Expressions that quickly were replaced with shock. "How dare you leave your girlfriend. Aren't you going to invite me to sit down?"

Beep.

Beep.

Beep. Saved by XANA. Odd never thought he would see the day and with a scraping sound the Lyoko warriors rose from their table dumping their trays as they went. He at least knew they didn't want to draw to much attention and that was why they were leaving so silently with belongings at hand.

Aelita cast Odd a curious expression while Ulrich just looked annoyed.

It was a sort of betrayal to be with Sissi wasn't it?

Sissi wasn't certain what was happening but stood watching Ulrich's back as he departed.

She couldn't follow not when Odd wasn't going and he wasn't making any move to follow suit. "You know I wasn't talking about Romeo after all he was meant to be with Juliet." The purple boy cast her a questioning look. It was like he thought she had a brain of a three-year-old and didn't understand.

"Anyways I got to go Sissi Dear." He smirked. "It's not so much of a bother if you really want to be my girlfriend but you might regret it when Milly and Tamiya hear about it." He waved to her pushing open the door with a plastered smile.

He wouldn't, he wouldn't dare.

"BYE SISSI DEAR. I LOVE YOU!" and he vanished through the doors as all heads turned to stare at the girl in question. Her face was heating up with both embarrassment and anger and she hightailed it out of there as fast as she could.

She was going to **kill** that boy!

In emerging though she found the gardener already had dibs and was hot pursuit as Odd disappeared into the woods.

What… was going on?

* * *

**A/N: **My mind screams action! For the next chapter.

Usually my chapters aren't this short though… They should get longer from here.

Read and Review.


	3. Running Hard

**Disclaimer: **You know already. I'm not saying it again.

**A/N: **I planned the chapter to be different but this turned out… alright.

Chapter 3: Running Hard

At that moment Sissi hadn't planned on following but when she heard the two annoying voices of Kadic's young reporters calling her from the Cafeteria doors, thoughts of staying shot away. That moment her feet were carrying her into the woods.

"It seems Sissi has run into the woods for some private time with her boyfriend." The two girls turned their camera away and headed back to the school. They would get their interview later.

Odd was fine with back pressed against the bark of this tree, he wasn't the least bit _worried_ that he lost track of the possessed gardener. No, they had been in worse situations before and it was the risk of it that made it so much fun but not when other people got themselves unknowingly involved.

Those footsteps, this intruder was panting and since XANA never grew tired he couldn't imagine this person had anything to do with the virus. Slowly he crept around the edge of the tree just enough so he could see the girl. Oh… it was just Sissi.

He released a sigh of relief too soon suddenly hearing another pair behind him. He had no choice but to let himself be known as he leapt out of hiding to avoid the rake's powerful ridges. Metal struck the tree with a clang and Sissi jumped as she twirled around to face him.

"ODD? How dare you yell that in front of the whole school!" She grabbed his arm recovering the momentarily shock and keeping him from running away from the lurking threat. She probably thought he was trying to run from her and avoid this subject.

He smiled, "Well Sissi Dear if we are going out now I thought I should share that wonderful news with everyone."

A stretch of emotions crossed her face from confusion to anger. "It's not like we are getting married Scraw-" Her words were cut short when she hit the ground. Odd allowed himself to get distracted and XANA obviously wasn't going to show any mercy for the person he was jokingly conversing with so he pushed her down.

Maybe he wouldn't of done if there wasn't return trips.

* * *

Those damn mega tanks.

Ulrich scowled as he entered the lab and took a position standing beside Jeremy, eyeing the screen warily as Yumi lost ten more life points. "Need help with anything?"

Jeremy didn't even look up. "We could use more help you know. Why don't you see what's taking Odd so long?"

"He's probably spending time with Sissi." He spat disgusted by the idea that anyone would want to be with her, she was so _clingy_ and _annoying_. Nevertheless he slid out his cell phone and dialed the number not understanding why Jeremy couldn't just call. Probably just wanted to keep him busy.

* * *

He was… _okay_.

Yeah, he was… _fine_.

"ODD!"

There was just this intense pain shooting up his side. Just this tiny problem of the rusty prongs of a rake rammed into his side but… but… **Sissi** was fine. Maybe he couldn't say he was fine 'cause heck he couldn't even move and his vision had begun to blur but at least she was fine, that was the point wasn't it?

There was a ringing playing at the edges of his fuzzy mind and faintly he wondered what that was. Ah, XANA was smiling and he was still hurting. What was the virus waiting for? It was only the tension that was keeping him up but the moment the gardener ripped the rake back towards him not even that was enough.

Hmmm… it was warm and it was red.

So red…

* * *

"He's not answering." Ulrich pushed the end button and stomped back over anger evident on his face as he snapped at Jeremy. "He's to busy with _Sissi_ that he can't even take a moment to answer the phone!"

"I doubt it Ulrich. Call again."

* * *

It felt like her heart leapt into her throat, she couldn't breath.

The same tension that was holding him up left her as he hit the ground. It wasn't Ulrich but she couldn't stand the idea of letting him know that she was standing right there when his friend died and didn't anything to try and help him.

His phone was ringing again at least she was certain it was his but she had no idea where he put it and wasn't really comfortable with idea of digging through his pockets. She spared a quick glance sideways? They were just standing there looking rather pleased. It was scaring her…

Odd shifted slightly and the gardener moved.

She freaked out, screamed, and grabbed Odd under the arms and began half carrying him, half dragging him toward a thicker mass of trees. The both of them barely squeezed through the small opening between trunks when the rake smacked bark. Now if they insisted on following they wouldn't able to swing around so madly.

**They**'d be safer here.

Not that she cared for Odd though! After all he was staining her outfit red and that was unforgivable. The man was still there but wasn't making any sudden movements, just standing. She didn't want to move either but her arms pulled the injured boy closer to herself as she sunk back against the thick trunks.

Idiot… he was bleeding so much. Her hands were already drenched in the stuff and she faintly worried that she might be guarding a body that was no longer even alive. He shouldn't of pushed her out of the way, then he wouldn't be like_ this _and maybe they wouldn't be cowering in a grove of trees. If he wasn't injured like this though- she _would have been_.

She should be thanking him, she should but…

* * *

"He's still not answering!" Ulrich threw down his phone in frustration wondering if he had just gone looking instead but there was no reason to do that now as Jeremy's finger came down on that familiar button.

"Return to the past now."

What was that white light?

Was that coming for Odd?

* * *

They were all still there, standing in their line for their first servings when suddenly Odd's tray hit the ground with a clatter. He didn't even seem to notice he was already running out the doors. "Where are you going Odd?" Getting no response the four exchanged glances and Aelita finally agreed to go see what was wrong.

Sometimes Odd was just well… odd.

He couldn't believe he blacked out before! What could have happened in that span of unconscious? It's hard to judge time in darkness but he had hoped among all hopes that Sissi had took the hint and ran. He would love to say that with out a doubt: she had fled the scene as fast as her feet could carry her but he couldn't assume that girl was that bright.

If it had been a long time after the darkness crept in then she should be dead if he wasn't.

His feet carried him faster through the halls ignoring Jim's call for him not to run. It hadn't been that long… _had it? _

He stopped abruptly, face to face with the girl. "What's the rush Scrawny?" For a moment he didn't speak just lingered in Sissi's presence. Turned out he was worrying for no reason. Of course the principal's daughter would have worried about only herself. He should of never doubted her ability to save her own rear end.

Lightly he shrugged turning around and walking the opposite way passing Aelita in the process.

Sissi stood dumbfound as the two friends left her standing alone without an explanation, once more.

* * *

**A/N: **That could have turned out a lot better.

Read and Review.


	4. This Is A Start

**Disclaimer: **Same as the other chapters…

**A/N: **I'm such a bum with no inspiration for this story in such a long time. I hope this chapter is at least worth reading-- please enjoy and don't forget to **review **at the end. I would really appreciate it, because as much as I enjoy writing I like to know other people enjoy this story as well.

Chapter 4: This is a Start

So now Odd was lying awake.

It was sort as if some strange thought kept bonking at his skull as if it was a drum. Odd enough though this sensation was not painful but neither was it completely endearing. Without it he would most likely be sleeping right now.

A small warm body was curled upon his chest the small wet nose pressed up against his neck and yet he didn't squirm at its coolness. Ulrich would of probably laughed at him if he was awake because the reason he didn't tell his dog to move its snout was because he was thinking too hard. And what was he thinking about?

Well his roommate would hate him for this one-- Sissi.

Don't jump to conclusions, he hadn't fallen madly in love with her. He had just thought it would have been fun to play with her feelings but now he was getting this sinking feeling in his gut. What if Elisabeth really did deserve that one thing she couldn't have? Maybe he hadn't seen it before.

After all…

Today-- it hurt… _a lot_. He wasn't going to lie in his own mind despite how he told his friends the story with a smirk. It was better they could just shrug it off but the phantom pain of the now nonexistent injury was numbingly painful even when he didn't review what had happened, it was hard to forget something like that.

Everything had gone so cold maybe he had really been--

Not like he could even assume that after all, this was all just a game.

A game with everyone's lives as the chips…

Sissi must of done something. With how many times Ulrich had called, he had been out cold that _long_. In theory he shouldn't still be alive and that's what really bothered him. It was one of those times a question would eat away until you got an answer. Not like Odd could just ask the girl though, she couldn't possibly remember any of that.

So why was this large part of him telling him to just go talk to her?

* * *

There in her own doorway an annoyed raven haired girl stood.

"What do you want?" She barked rather rudely at the pajama clad boy. Of course her tone was well backed, it was three in the morning after all and she was a girl that loved her beauty sleep. Some annoying little freak wasn't about to ruin that for her, not now, not after he already started interfering with other places in her life.

The odd boy just grinned though, successfully wiping away the insecurity that lingered in his expression moments before. "Is that anyway to treat your boyfriend?"

At her shocked expression he realized he stepped over a line that shouldn't of been crossed. In this time stream the girl had never declared that they were together. He should slap himself right now.

Then she smirked "I see. You changed your mind and decided you did want to be with wonderful me. Well that's too bad." She leaned back against the door's frame. "I don't think I need you anymore after all, what kind of awful boyfriend walks their dear up at 3 O' clock in the morning?"

"Actually it's three-"

"Listen up scrawny!" She cut him off. "Your going to treat me right if we are going through with this! I want you to keep your ugly little mutt away from me and I want you to include me with all your get-togethers with Ulrich." She swung around to go back into her room but then paused. "Oh… and I wear the pants in this relationship."

Maybe Odd was wrong about her being deserving? It looked like she still didn't understand.

* * *

Odd Della Robbia was still interested in playing the game regardless of Sissi's attitude.

Despite her wanting to be close to his friends it seemed she really rather not be near him. The moment she tried to sit next to Ulrich at breakfast the next morning, he stood up and left the table without a word. However the glare he cast his roommate was for everyone to see including Sissi.

Why couldn't this easy?

She sat in such an uncomfortable silence with them, no one was speaking but Odd who seemed to be telling a ridiculously stupid story about his dog. What could be so interesting about that ugly mutt she couldn't see and obviously no one else at the table could either.

He was trying to lighten the mood but his jokes really weren't funny.

She wondered where Ulrich had gone?

Probably to see Yumi!

That ugly little-

"Sissi are you… okay?" Reality came rushing back and she found the Cafeteria empty aside for her and Odd who was giving her a seriously strange look. Was that concern? She turned her head with indifference, scowling.

"It's none of your business scrawny!" It must be pretty late in the morning if the room had already cleared out. She stiffened slightly, had classes already started? Daddy would be mad and it would be good-bye to her new cell phone-- this was all Odd's fault!

Why had he let her zone like that?!

Because it took him this long to eat his fill? Well he didn't need her to keep him company!

"You said you didn't want to be left out of things anymore. There is no classes today so I thought you wanted to hang out with us? After all you are _my Sissi Dear._" He stated with a joking grin. Then he got up seeming to wait for her to follow as he moved toward the front doors.

He stopped, "Come on. This is what you 'wanted'."

Or least it was what she thought she wanted. Sissi couldn't know any better if she couldn't see it _yet_.

Odd would just have to show her…

**A/N: **If I get at least three reviews for this chapter I will update.

* * *


	5. Ruining and Fixing

**A/N: **I guess I just decided to update. I did have time…

**Disclaimer: **Same as all the other chapters.

* * *

Chapter 5: Ruining and Fixing

Sissi couldn't believe this.

"You lied." She couldn't believe this scrawny boy. Hadn't he clearly said: 'I thought you wanted to hang out with **us'**? As in the plural for more then one person? Last she checked that meant a number people, like a group-- as in _Ulrich's_ group.

Maybe this had been a mistake since she was stuck sitting on a shop's front patio with this annoying shrimp. Not that she had to sit, she just didn't want to walk any farther in his company. It didn't even seem he was listening to her accusations. How'd she figure this you ask? Because he just said something about ice-cream.

This only made her mope some more. "What's with you and food?" She looked up when the silence dragged on in response, where'd he go?

Left her, did he?! That LITTLE FREAK! No one stood up Elisabeth "Sissi" Delmas!

She had just been about to get up and storm off when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Deep in her thoughts, she was startled by the touch and spun around to knock her assaulter down. She thought she would be satisfied but the freezing substance that landed down her front told otherwise.

She shrieked and spun around to face the boy that somehow avoided her hit. "Sorry?" She just snorted in anger, realizing she caused him to spill the second ice-cream cone on her when she smacked the hand he tapped her with-- the one he had been holding it in. She wasn't about to forgive him though, as she looked down at her shirt and saw the damage.

"You can have mine." Was he offering her his ice-cream cone? A scowl broke across her face, eyeing the object held out to her. Did he seriously think that was what she was angry about?!

"Scrawny!" She slapped the cone out his hand causing the half melted chocolate ice-cream to splatter across his face. "You ruined my perfect outfit! This cost me good money!" It was true, it was a pretty expensive shirt but she had a number of the same one in her closet back at the dorms.

Was she over reacting? **Never**.

She had all the right to be angry but why didn't the boy seem bothered by her outburst? Deep down she knew she was just trying to make him feel bad for her, after all it was _torture_ being stuck in his company.

However, he didn't seem to notice, just wiped the ice-cream off his face before licking it carelessly off his hand. He looked over at her and pulled on that dumb grin of his, "And you ruined my perfect ice-cream cone, lets just call it even. Besides… it's strawberry." As if that simple statement made it okay to be smeared down her front.

"I don't care…" She was feeling rather distressed by this point wishing she could be with Ulrich right now, actually anyone but Odd would do. "I can't believe you made me ride that smelly bus for this. I thought we were going to hang out with _Ulrich_! Instead you drag me halfway around town and then… then you spill ice-cream on me! You better buy me a new shirt. Not that you can afford it-"

Her words were suddenly muffled by the hand shoved over her mouth. "We wouldn't want you losing your _lovely_ voice. I'll buy you a new shirt."

Sissi shoved him away. "Yeah right Scrawny, you can't afford my clothes." She just wanted to go back to the school now, this was a waste of time. "Are we going to hang out with Ulrich or not?"

Odd opened his mouth but then closed again. He didn't have anything to say? That was a first.

* * *

Elisabeth sure loved to complain. Today only proved it, it was her fault that he even spilled that ice-cream on her.

Was it really worth playing this game? After all, Ulrich hadn't talked to him on good terms since he first pronounced that him and Sissi were now together. If he remembered correctly all his best friend had to say was that(and quote)-- 'you've hit a new low'. Now it was just the silent treatment.

The rest of the group only seemed to take it _slightly_ better and that's why he hadn't been invited to hang out with them.

And now even Sissi had stormed off. Not that it mattered so much-- it wasn't like he was actually _enjoying_ her company. Just that thought made him tremble and struggle to resist the urge to do something drastic like gouge out his eyes. He was just toying with her emotions but if that was true why had he gone in that fancy store after she left and bought her a new shirt exactly like the one he ruined?

This wasn't even funny.

He didn't even really care for the girl other then as someone to tease. Of course the previous time loop in which he was brutally injured insisted otherwise. He just shook his head, he only did that because he knew the return to the past would erase the damage. It wasn't like he was really putting his life on the line for her.

He knew what he should do. Buy her an 'out of style shirt' to replace the one he destroyed.

He looked down at his clothes recalling how she always complained about his style-- he should buy her something purple. That way they would match. That would tick her off, he could just see her getting all red in the face and screaming something about him being a scrawny moron.

He felt the smile fall from his face.

Huh?

Odd didn't care that would upset her. That's what made teasing her so much fun. So why was there conflicting thoughts in his head? He already had the shirt in his hands-- a purple lacy, Pokka-dotted thing and he knew she would hate it. **Come on**, it would be funny to see her angry! Yet he ended up putting it back on its hanger.

What was going on with him lately?…

Oh great, it started raining.

* * *

Her shirt was ruined.

Her day was ruined.

Why was she making herself suffer like this?

It was for **her **darling Ulrich wasn't it? Except she knew beneath her 'obsession'(as Odd had put it), he wasn't ever hers and would never be. _Romeo was meant to be with Juliet. _And she wasn't Juliet, was she? She wanted slap herself for recalling that scrawny freak's words at a time like this. It was so clear all this time but she knew what she wanted--

So what if she couldn't have **him**?!

She threw her shirts down ripping them from their hangers in irritation. "Why do they all have to be dirty?" She scrunched up her nose. "No, why did that weirdo have to ruin my favorite shirt?" She knew why she was angry-- she needed to be fashionable be at all times, even now: in her room as a storm was raging outside.

A sudden knock forced her to pull on the closest shirt, an old yellow number that she had since the beginning of the school year. It was so out of style it'd be embarrassing to be seen opening the door when wearing it. After all… what if it was Ulrich on the other side? The knock came again and she swept forward having made up her mind.

"Coming Ulrich Dear." She said in a sing song voice before throwing the door open.

Who she saw standing there did nothing to lift her mood.

"What do **you **want?" Seriously, couldn't he just leave her alone.

Instead he just quirked and eyebrow at her and continued to soak the floor in front of her door. "Why would Ulrich come and see **you**? He has Yumi. Now maybe if you had said Herb I'd be more willing to believe that he'd be at the door…" The odd purple garbed boy sniffled his nose and squeezed the shapeless bundle closer to his chest as he released a sneeze.

Disgusting. "Eww…" She moved to push the door closed when the weirdo had the nerve to invite himself in.

"I have something for you." He stated bluntly causing Sissi to freeze up before she even got the chance to yell at him to get out. She saw him eye her momentarily before looking toward the mess on her floor. "You know I can see you and me getting along." What was that suppose to mean?! She had no time to debate it before he shoved the wrinkled bag into her hands.

She scowled at rain water sprayed her. "This better not be a joke?"

Odd smirked. "Come on. Don't you trust me Sissi?" He ventured jokingly.

"No." Sissi wondered if she had just seen a frown on the careless boy's face but it was gone before she could really be sure. She just turned away from him and pulled the object from the bag. Oh… "Did you steal this?"

"Sissi Dear, I'm hurt… how could you say such things of me?"

No way _he_ could afford one of her shirts. Sissi simply wouldn't believe he had that sort of money. Just in case she took one more look at him, wondering if she had missed something-- no, same irritating weirdo he had always been.

She had about to say something: smart… witty but a sudden ringing interrupted her.

"I got to go."

It was his phone and with that he was gone, running down the hall. So his friends were up to something again?

"Odd, wait!" She thought she was a part of their group. Why were they leaving without her? _Again_.

It shouldn't really bother her but she was really starting to wonder just what **she **'wanted'.

* * *

**A/N:** You can review if you want.


	6. Tell Me The Secret

**Disclaimer: **Same as always.

* * *

Chapter 6: Tell me the secret

Morning came with a cafeteria full of chattering students.

Suddenly Sissi didn't seem so certain of the direction her feet were carrying her. She strolled right past her usual table ignoring the comments of her two 'cronies', at least part of her was set on her decision… Today was the day she'd figure out just where the group was always going. Even if she had to beat it out of their shortest member.

Speaking of that certain member, he was staring rather dejected at his tray of food. Something the others didn't seem to notice in their early morning dazes. If Sissi hadn't taken a cold shower that morning she probably wouldn't have noticed either. In a moment the strange boy seemed to recover a huge smile breaking across his face as he reached for his fork.

_Moron_. All he ever thought about was food. How could anyone even eat that much?

She stopped at the end of their table and had to cough just to get their attention. What was with this bunch?

The pink haired girl was the one to notice first. Aelita was her name if Sissi remembered correctly, she was Odd's cousin or something… in all honesty Sissi didn't really care. The girl was just another nerd like the boy sitting next to her-- currently bent over his laptop.

As Aelita looked in her direction though that seemed to bring the nearby Ulrich to reality, he just snorted with annoyance though and continued to stare at the table in front of him. Sissi wasn't very happy about this, how could that table be more interesting to look at then her?!

She coughed again and Ulrich looked up with a scowl. "Odd!" He snapped at his roommate and there was a clatter of silverware as the fork that was previously in Odd's hand fell onto his tray. Sissi glared at the boy as he sat up straighter, appearing startled by the mentioning of his name.

Something seemed slight amiss with him but Sissi couldn't quite put her finger on it.

He didn't look as exhausted as the others, in fact he had too much energy now that he was distracted from his food. He kept shifting back and forth in his seat causing Sissi to narrow her eyes further.

What was with him? Why was he looking at her like _that_? Both his green and purple eye seemed equally hazy, as if he wasn't even looking at her at all but right past her.

"I need to talk to you."

He smirked, managing to irritate her further but at least now he seemed more focused. "What about Sissi _dear_?"

She hoped her face didn't get stuck all angry like this, it probably wasn't very appealing. She glanced at the rest of the group which she could tell were listening intently even if they weren't looking her way. "I don't want to talk about it **here**." She snapped at him causing him to quirk a brow at her.

"What are you talking about?…" She was not crazy!

"Get up Odd."

"But I thought you wanted to hang out with-"

Ulrich. Why… yes, yes she did but not right now. "Odd!" He stopped talking immediately, at least able to take a hint. "Get up." And follow and order even if it was just because he was stunned. He seemed disappointed to leave his breakfast though as she lead him out of the Cafeteria.

"Okay. What?"

She ignored him because she just realized once more how cold it was outside. Her jacket might have been fashionable and looked _amazing_ on her but even so it was rather thin and was doing little to keep out the biting wind. She just kept walking deeper into the nearby woods to keep her mind off it.

"Sissi. First period is going to start soon and I'm still **really **hungry."

Whiner.

Sissi stopped walking and turned to face him. What was with that purple hoodie of his? It was far to big for his scrawny little body but it sure did look warm. Even his fingers must be warm beneath those long sleeves. Suddenly she was so jealous of his choice of clothing for this weather, she shivered.

"Take off your jacket." She demanded bluntly.

"Oh Sissi dear, I had no idea you were like that."

She really wanted to slap the arrogant boy for the assumption he was making but restrained herself. Yes that was a miracle in itself. "Give me your jacket scrawny I'm cold!" He opened his mouth to defend his height but Sissi didn't have time for that. "The sooner you hand over your jacket the sooner you can go back to gorging yourself with food."

His smile became a little less full as he moved to pull his hoodie off.

Sissi ripped it out of his hands and yanked it on but she had to keep some of her dignity. Even as warmth instantly filled her, she forced disgust onto her face. "Ew, it smells like you." Which honestly wasn't the best smell in the world but not anything worth gagging over, it was hardly even noticeable.

She glanced at him, expecting him to retort but he just bit his bottom lip. She noticed him visibly shiver and rub his hands over the thin material covering his arms. Even looking for just a second she caught a hint of white between where the base of his fingers met his sleeves.

"I want to know where you went yesterday after you ran off." She edged closer to him causing him to back up suddenly appearing rather alarmed. Then he smiled nervously as she backed him up against the trunk of a tree.

"I went to the gym?"

He was lying.

"Why'd you just ask me what you were doing?" Sissi smiled slyly leaning in closer her hands leaning at either side of him, preventing him from darting away and avoiding the situation like the bunch of them always managed to do. She almost pulled back though when she noticed the slight blush creeping across the Odd's cheeks-- at least until she decided it was because of the cold. After all she had stole his jacket.

Suddenly he had ducked under her arms and almost got away before she reached out and grabbed his hand yanking him backwards. She wasn't expecting the sharp cry that escaped him and ended up letting him go. She probably should of said something but instead just watched him rush off-- shock evident on her face.

* * *

Sissi was a whack, a nutcase, a _kook_… and Odd wasn't even sure if that last one was a real word but she was one nevertheless.

Oh, yes. Sissi was certainly crazy, Odd had no doubts. She dragged him away from food just to steal his jacket: that was whack. She pinned him against a tree just to try and force him to tell her the secret, she looked so _pretty_ in his jacket-

He smashed his forehead against the desk causing his roommate to stare at him.

- that was nuts.

Then she had to go in a try and stop him and horribly remind him of his bandaged palms by grabbing one: that was just kooky, painful too. He remember her shocked expression, she couldn't have known she would have hurt him, not that knowing would've changed anything. Sissi would probably enjoy hurting him.

"Are you okay?" Holy- Ulrich was talking to him again and on friendly terms too. Odd picked up his head and looked toward the front of the class where Ms. Hertz was still in the middle of her long lecture about… scientific stuff? Heck if Odd knew what she was going on about-- he wasn't Jeremie after all.

Recalling that Ulrich had asked him a question he decided to change the subject. "How's your ankle?"

"It's great, a nice purple color. I'm sure you'd love it." Ulrich whispered back sarcastically causing Odd to smirk in amusement continuing to watch their teacher's demonstration without paying attention as his roommate took notes on the lesson(or at least pretended to). "But seriously Odd, shouldn't you be more concerned about your hands? Yolanda said it would take at least a week for them to completely heal."

Odd shifted in his seat and laughed as quietly as he could. "No. That just means I got a week's pass of taunting Jimbo without him forcing me to run ten laps on my hands." Of course, he wasn't completely serious about this but the ugly rope burns on his hands did get him out of gym class.

Neither Ulrich or him would even be hurt if they weren't cut down to using return trips so scarcely. They were stuck at the factory late into the evening and only got a chance to return for a quick dinner and to visit the infirmary. After that they had to sneak past Jim and meet Jeremie back at the factory to help with some research on Lyoko.

They were up late into the night.

Odd didn't like their priorities one bit.

"So what happened to your jacket?"

Odd didn't like this change of subject either. "Oh, Sissi took it." He didn't know if he should be upset at the following silence or relieved. This meant Ulrich didn't like his answer but it also meant he wasn't going to argue with him about his choice in girlfriends.

Not that Sissi and him were really together.

Odd was betting Ulrich didn't want to know why Sissi dragged him away from breakfast that morning. He probably had all this nasty and twisted thoughts in his head already. _Sissi and him… _Odd shivered. What had he been thinking?

* * *

It was during lunch before Sissi approached him again and he ended up sneezing on her when she grabbed his arm and forceful dragged him away from his friends and food. He could of resisted if he really wanted to but was curious about what this was all about.

Dumb curiosity…

She appeared to be disgusted and yelled something about him getting his snot on her. Why did that give him such a mad urge to rub snot all over her? Right, cause it would be funny.

"I need to go to the infirmary." She said suddenly. "That food didn't agree with me."

Should Odd have pointed out that lunch was still going on and the food couldn't have possibly effected her yet? No, he was to busy staring at her in his purple hoodie. It wasn't a bad color on her…

Curse his love of the color it was screwing with his mind. When was she going to give it back? It was freezing outside. Speaking of which why was it so cold anyways?! Was it because of the rain?

He stood back at the doorway as Sissi continued in. "Yolanda, there's something wrong with Odd's hands."

Kadic's nurse turned around at the two. "I know that Elisabeth. I already tended to him yesterday."

"My name's Sissi!"

Yolanda just ignored her and Odd couldn't help but smirk. "Speaking of which I should probably change those bandages." Crap. Odd could tell you that 'rope burns' were pretty painful but he wasn't about to. He already accidentally showed as much when Sissi grabbed his hand earlier and wasn't partial to do so again.

Retarded Xana. Those wired cords ripped right into Odd's palms, it was no where near as painful as getting sliced open by a rake --he winced-- that had numbed so quickly in that instant when his body had gone into shock. That pain hadn't been a constant throb like this, just a sharp agonizing… okay never mind. That was worse and he was feeling nauseous just thinking about it.

He didn't know when he had sat down, or when Yolanda had redressed his palms. Nor did he recall when Sissi had made that disturbed face. It almost made him laugh but he really did feel sick rather suddenly so didn't.

He must of looked as much since Yolanda's hand was on his forehead. "You have a slight fever, nothing serious but it looks like the cold weather is getting to you. You probably should of worn something warmer than what you have on now."

Sissi shuffled her feet in a guilty manner. Sissi was guilty! Odd wanted to laugh out loud.

"You should get some rest."

A few seconds later the two of them were headed toward his dorm. Odd happily wearing his hoodie once more even if it did smell like Sissi, it wasn't bad. "You should get to class." She huffed and stormed off as soon as he said this leaving him in front of his dorm room.

What was with that girl? He smiled.

_Oh great_. He was smiling while thinking about Sissi and she wasn't even embarrassed or angry. Oh yeah, he really must be sick. Shaking his head he closed the door behind him and took a few steps toward his bed, taking little notice as Kiwi picked up his head to look at him from Ulrich's pillow.

He thought he felt alright now but then why was the floor rushing up to greet him?

* * *

They had just finished lunch…

They had just been clearing their trays…

Sissi had just been walking over…

When the beeping started and they looked at one another expectantly. **Xana.**

Ulrich exited the group. "I'll get Odd."


	7. Done Wrong

**Disclaimer: **Same as always.

* * *

Chapter 7: Done Wrong

Sissi had reason to believe that Ulrich was in a hurry when he broke away from the rest of the group but she cut him off.

"Ulrich dear!" By the expression now gracing his lovely face she had reason to believe he really hated her right now.

She imagined if she could read him like a book, his eyes would be screaming that he didn't have time for her. But his expressions were dull in comparison to Odd's and a load more complicated to understand.

It was one of the things she always loved about Ulrich, his secretive attitude, the fact that you could never be sure what he was thinking.

Now though, she just found it annoying.

It was this little fact that was keeping her from knowing what the group's urgency was all about.

By now he was at least facing her. "What do you want Sissi? I'm in a hurry."

That much she could see, the rest of the group had rushed pass her a few seconds ago. She couldn't know where they were headed for certain but she knew this much: they were going to get there very quickly.

Except for Ulrich, where was he headed? Could she just ask? She didn't see why not but he would probably lie to her.

"Where are you going?" Her saliva tasted so sour but at least her words sounded sweet. She didn't understand… she loved talking to Ulrich in this flirting tone even if he spoke rudely to her in return.

Why didn't doing so feel right now though? All she felt was awkward, a rather unfamiliar sensation for her.

It seemed that Ulrich was debating whether or not to tell her anything, it was clear by his silence. Sissi at least knew he wasn't planning too unless he was going to get information in return, that's the only reason he ever did.

It must be what he was expecting now, "I'm looking for Odd. You were with him last so do you know where he is?"

Sissi didn't know if she should skirt around the subject just so she could spend a little more time talking to Ulrich.

"He went to your dorm. That's where I left him anyways." She couldn't believe she just told him without demanding anything in return-- like a kiss.

Ulrich was looking at her oddly, "why?"

Why? Oh right because their next classes were about to start, it was pretty funny for him not to be going to class.

"He wasn't feeling well." She shrugged lightly. Just in time to notice Ulrich mumble something under his breath before running off.

Masses of students were now pouring out of the Cafeteria, if she was going to follow she should do it now. She had to admit she was curious, it might even be worth skipping classes and getting her cell phone taken away. Well in any case, it **better be**!

* * *

Odd didn't _quite_ understand **why** he was on the ground or **how** he even got there.

Despite all the uncertainty, he did know that was Kiwi's tongue licking his face.

Shifting, Odd gently shoved his dog off and sat himself up.

He slumped his back against the bed and leaned his head onto his mattress.

He thought it would prevent him from having to watch the room spinning round and round but found the ceiling was doing much of the same thing. All he could do in this situation was close his eyes and wait for the rollercoaster to stop, just enough so he could climb into bed.

That's what he ended up doing too.

He hid under his covers and groaned when he heard footsteps in the hall.

Voices just outside the door.

Head throbbing, he buried his face into the purple sleeves of his hoodie. A familiar flowery scent assaulting his senses and causing him to sniffle his nose. He recognized it immediately-- rolling over and stuffing his face in his pillow instead, blanket tucked firmly around him, it was _Sissi_'s scent.

He didn't know whether to be disgusted or pleased. His head was pounding to thoroughly for him to think logically.

They were just sounds…

The words only had volume and depth but no meaning.

One was ridiculously high pitched and made his ears ache the other lower and sounding rather annoyed with the first.

The second was saying something then Odd's eyes were stinging through his eyelids-- lousy sunlight. He wanted to yank his covers back but decided that just laying still was more satisfying.

Of course, they just couldn't let him have that pleasure, could they?

Someone was shaking him. An action that wasn't helping his headache at all.

He cracked an eye halfway open hoping to satisfy the intruder so they would leave.

"Get up Odd! We **need **to _go_." Oh, it was his roommate. Was he trying to imply something?

Odd opened his eyes all the way. Go _where_? Shouldn't he know? He felt he should, as he sat himself drowsily up. The room was beginning to spin again.

Obviously Sissi wanted to know too. "Go where?!" Wait, what was Sissi doing here?

Odd shook his head feebly trying to bring his tipping consciousness back reality. They needed to go somewhere, was it class? No, this sounded urgent. _Like _life-or-death urgent. So… it must be… be… XANA. Yeah, that was it.

He shook his head again and shoved his shaking arms on the bed behind him. Fresh pain stung through his palms as he tried to push himself up and he bit his lip in response. He knew the needed to leave just couldn't find the energy to go.

He gripped the edge of the bed with a withering hold to keep his sitting position and focused his full attention on the two fuzzy figures in front of him.

"Come on Odd. Stop being lazy." His roommate demanded.

A mass of black wafted in front of Odd's vision, the back of Sissi's head, her raven black hair. What was she doing?

"Yolanda said he's sick, that he needs to rest." Was she defending his state of health? Wasn't that sweet…

He let go of the bed and buckled forward as his vision swum. He threw his arms around the closet thing to balance himself-- Sissi's waist, his forehead hitting her back.

Everything was fading but he heard her complain. Felt her ramming him roughly backwards and the covers beneath him once more and aside from snippets of reality, that was it…

* * *

Her father was going to be _so _**angry**. When he found out she skipped class.

In fact… she was angry at herself. Why you may ask?(she sure questioned herself).

The reason was and quote: She wasn't even doing anything good with the time.

Sure she was sitting on Ulrich's bed and that should have been a plus **and **his journal was currently propped open in her hands but… it wasn't improving the situation. All the writing did was rub in the fact that Ulrich **loved** Yumi. Thick and pasty, non-rip able kind of love.

It just rubbed in the fact that she would never be able to have him and for once she could actually see this fact.

It was depressing.

Today she had all intentions to find out the group's secret but instead she was watching the purple boy sleep. Now don't get any ideas, she still hated him! They weren't even friends but she worried… does that make sense? She didn't like feeling crazy.

--

Sissi scowled and crossed her arms. "Odd." He was curled up much like a cat, face buried out of sight.

Ulrich had run off in such a hurry. It must have been urgent but Sissi still had no clue where he went.

She **should** have followed him! Why **hadn't** she?

"Odd?" She rose to her feet and paced the short length to the boy's bed grabbing his shoulder and shaking him out of his ball. He furled out slightly, arms splayed out before him and legs stuffed beneath his covers.

It was kind of surprising that he kept on sleeping without complaint.

She leaned in a little closer. "Odd?" She was rewarded by his soft groan as a pair of hazy eyes flickered open to look at her.

"Wha…?" His voice was feeble and slurred without its familiar joking tone. His left hand rising slightly to rub his flushed cheeks with covered fingers. The wrinkled purple sleeve managing to wipe away any fever induced sweat.

She knew he wasn't fully there but then he blinked again. "Yumi?" Only managing to sound confused as he rubbed his face once more.

Yumi?! She was nothing like that stupid girl! How could he confuse her with that… that… THING!

"Where's Ulrich?…" It **was **confusion. Odd clearly didn't understand what was going on _like_ he couldn't put 2 + 2 together.

Even so Sissi didn't have much of a choice but to go along with it, did she?

Maybe she could get something out of him by twisting her words. "I think you know." She said smoothly. "He wanted you to go with him."

Odd released a soft laugh. "Why'd didn't you go then?" And buried his face in his covers.

Yumi was in on it too? Well of course… _she_ was… "Why would I go?"

"Because you always…" His words faded off and Sissi found herself face to face with him as he sat himself up. "You're **not **Yumi."

Well, so much for that.

"Xana."

She never saw it coming, never thought the scrawny boy could throw a punch but she went down, gripping her nose.

At the moment she could think of nothing but the shock and pain, blood was dribbling down her face and she wasn't sure whether to cry or scream. Her eyes were blurring as Odd slid off the bed and onto the floor in front of her, head tilted slightly to the side as he looked her over.

"Xana?" He still sounded as annoyed as when he first said the term but now their was doubt on his face as he blinked rapidly.

Sissi simply couldn't think straight?

What was he going to do to her?

Before he thought she was Yumi and now somebody named _Xana_, which he obviously **hated**.

It was funny… she always thought Odd **hated** her but now she knew what hate really was coming from him and it was, _honestly_, scary.

His voice crackled, his mouth slipping into a deep frown. "Siss- e…?"

--

"Hey Odd. Are you…" No one looked at Ulrich as his speech faded off, standing there in the doorway. They just continued to look at one another with very _interesting_ expressions. Ulrich saw the blood though and recognized Odd's guilty expression.

Sissi couldn't have done that to herself… "Odd, what did you do?!"


	8. The Haunting

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill.

* * *

Chapter 8: The Haunting

His stomach churned in protest, a great beast thrashing about inside it.

His head throbbed, a steady and painful beat.

He, himself, had curled up feebly the second Sissi fled from the room. She had been in such a haste, that she shoved **Ulrich** aside in the process. Odd just _knew_ it, he royally screwed up this time.

Sissi didn't deserve _that_. She may have been a bitter and cruel girl, she may have even enjoyed picking on people 'lower' on the social latter then her, but she wasn't mean enough deserve a broken nose-

Because that's what he did-- wasn't it?…

He broke her nose.

--

Odd swallowed hard. He knew Ulrich was glaring at him but was glad his roommate choose not to say anything. Ulrich didn't even like Sissi (at all), so Odd knew that if he was mad-- what he done was bad, _real_ bad.

Shaking faintly from fever and guilt, Odd picked his head up from the pillow.

"Can you…"

"I'm **not** apologizing for you, Odd."

Odd winced at his friend's harsh tone and shook his head numbly. "That's not what… I just…" He still couldn't believe he reacted like that. "Can you just see if she's… _okay_?" He stifled softly and looked to his roommate.

"Of course she's **not** okay! You broke her nose!"

He buried his face back into his pillow, muttering softly. "Did I?…"

He could hear the retreating footsteps of Ulrich and the slamming of the door.

--

How would he _ever_ make things right?

* * *

Sissi had been angry--

But most of all she had been _upset_.

It had been painful but the throbbing didn't make itself clear until her father came storming into the infirmary. That was the biggest problem with being the principal's daughter, he was always just a holler away.

He spoke to Yolanda in very anxious tones.

It was if they had completely forgot that Sissi was even there. For a time she was okay with this, continuing to keep her head tilted back and her nose pinched. She thought it had stopped bleeding but wasn't really certain.

"Who did this to you Elisabeth?" He was speaking in that fatherly tone. It said that he would see to this problem, there was protectiveness in his words. Sissi just bit her lip though.

_It was Odd, Odd Della Robbia. _

_It was all his fault! Deal with him severally daddy!_

She kept her mouth shut. Odd deserved as much but then she probably shouldn't have been pretending to be someone she wasn't.

Her voice was muffled, from the lack of air passage in her nose, when she finally spoke. "It wasn't any-wone… I… rad into the walf." That was an extremely weak excuse and very poorly spoken. She frowned.

Sissi knew she could do better then that.

--

"Sissi are you- oh…"

Her head snapped around at the sound of that familiar voice, causing her to wince at a throb of pain. Her father was looking toward Ulrich as well, with a very questionable look.

**Oh-no**, he didn't think Ulrich did this to her, _did_ he?

"Well young man what do you have to say for yourself?" He said rather sternly.

"Daddy, no." She grabbed his arm to pull his attention toward her. "It watn't Alrick's 'ault, it was Fadd." She squeezed her nose. "Odd." She said slower. That's right, it was what she should of said all along.

Odd deserved whatever he got for fracturing her perfect little nose!

"Della Robbia?"

Sissi nodded. Her and Odd could never be anymore then enemies now.

Just as it should be.

* * *

Odd's hair was limp with perspiration, his right hand fisted against his chest. The other was tucked under his pillow and dug into the sheets with nonexistent claws. One knee was bowed toward his stomach his other leg twisted in his blankets. He whimpered faintly, it was a soft mewing sound that fell on the deaf ears of his roommate.

He didn't sleep well that night and would not of slept at all if not for his fever. He was very twisted on the inside. His slumbering mind was haunted with familiar yet senseless images.

--

It was the forest region of Lyoko in all its green glory. But the monstrous trees seemed inconsistent-- slithering like snakes against a rusty colored sky. The scenery seemed desolate and very much dead. It seemed to flicker and the virtual air hissed around him.

He saw the other Lyoko warriors, the colors of their outfits stood out against the grass. Ulrich gestured a finger at him with a backwards flick of the wrist. "It was a secret Odd. You put _her_ in danger."

Odd scarcely blinked but suddenly the elfin princess was in front of him. Her nose was inches from his own though he couldn't so much as feel her breath on his face. She hissed with all the poison he never expected to hear in the sweet girl's tone. "**You** hurt _her_!"

And suddenly they were gone. Just like flicking a switch.

In their place were Xana's monsters, chanting: "Your fault! Your fault!" Voices that sounded strangely like Nicholas and Herve. Slowly they faded… as Kiwi came floating over the masses. Swimming as if in water not air and thick white fog wafted around his paws and falling to the forest floor like rain.

Kiwi circled around Odd completely coating the area in white, before he as well disappeared into it.

Odd blindly moved forward having no idea where he was headed though his feet continued to carry him.

Then he knew.

_She_ was a gray specter among all the white, her arms squeezed around her front gently as her lifeless eyes searched him out. "Is _this_ what I was missing?" Her voice was cold and accusing. "Is _this _what you wanted to show me?"

"No… Sissi…"

"It's all your fault. You hurt me." She turned her back to him.

A sudden howling rose from the buzzing silence, a forceful push that sent the fog furling like a wave. For a vague moment Odd got the sensation that Sissi was standing on the edge of the digital void but then the wind pushed his feet out from under him. He slid down to his knees, claws sunk into the ground.

A glowing snaked around his shoulders and forced him to look up.

"Odd Della Robbia." Said the Scyphozoa.

--

Odd yelped, sitting up in bed.

* * *

"You are going to be so beautiful when you get older."

Soft fingers feathered across Sissi's young face. She smiled pleasantly up at the woman stroking her short raven hair. Her own small fingers pulling at her shirt bottom self-consciously. "Don't do that Elisabeth dear. You're very beautiful."

Her face was tilted upwards. "You'll have all the boy's caught in your kind eyes."

--

Sissi sat up stiffly and rubbed her eyes in the same manner. They were damp and cold making her feel rather insecure as she blinked in the direction of her clock. "Why'd you let me sleep in daddy?" She muttered to herself.

The previous day was fuzzy. Unimportant.

Her nose throbbed faintly and her eyes felt rather swollen. She probably looked horrid but for some strange reason she found she didn't care. She dug out her small pink diary and propped it open in front of her.

Her eyes welled up again, stinging and aching as she wrote small curving letters.

With out a single glance at the mirror, she dressed and left the room.

On her bed her dairy laid open-- four words as clear as rain:

_It's that day again. _

* * *

**A/N: **This is probably pathetic but I'm not really sure where I'm trying to go with this story… Ha! This chapter was awful, well whatever.


	9. That Day

**Disclaimer: **always the same.

* * *

Chapter 9: That Day

--

Odd was pretty miserable. And that was being said _lightly_.

He felt like he was going to be sick to his stomach. He could still see Sissi standing at the end of the digital void and now this image was mingling with the memory of her bloodied nose and Odd found himself wincing subconsciously.

Now she really did need that nose job he was always mentioning.

Oh man, there was no simple fix to this-- was there?

He didn't want to have to get on his knees and beg her forgiveness.

But maybe he was just over reacting… Maybe it wasn't as bad as it had looked. Yeah… Who was he kidding? He broke that poor girl's nose. Sissi-- _poor_-- he snorted at the thought. She still deserved an apology though.

* * *

Then that explained why he found himself standing in front of her dorm room. He knew to anybody skipping class that _happened_ to stroll by: he looked pretty pathetic.

His hair lacked its usual perfection, pushed into a messy mimic of what it normally was. His clothes were ruffled and running his fingers over his face he could feel the dark circles under his eyes from restless slumber.

He must of looked pretty stupid, standing there so stiffly but knocking on the door so lightly.

"Sissi?" Was it really any surprise when she didn't respond? No, he didn't think it was. Even if she happened to be there (which she probably wasn't), he knew for a fact she wouldn't dare answer.

"Sissi?" It didn't stop him from knocking a little harder this time. "I need to talk to you."

--

He waited until he heard a voice--

"DELLA ROBBIA!"

Oh, crap! Jimbo.

Odd didn't even bother looking back at large man just made a mad dash for escape. It probably wasn't the smartest thing to do but his head was still all tangled up from being sick and encouraged him to hop down the stairs and swing over the guard railing.

He landed with the grace of a cat-- on his feet, in a slight crouch, fingertips brushing the ground.

Jim never stood a chance to catch up and Odd wasn't giving him any time to.

* * *

Odd gripped his stomach and fumbled over his footing as he exited the dorms. He had thought he had recovered but the world was spinning and his stomach gurgling fitfully. Nearly falling, he gripped the nearby garbage pail and hurled.

Shame that all he could do while wiping his mouth was think… food gone to waste.

He was on a mission.

This was _pathetic_.

* * *

Not him.

It was all she could think when she heard the awful noise and looked over. It served him right. He ruined her nose and now he was ruining her alone time by just blundering around out here.

It shouldn't have bothered her. But Sissi found she just **couldn't** ignore Odd anymore.

She hated it but she watched and noticed his condition with softening anger.

It was **SO** annoying!

Quickly she looked away and moved off the bench to her feet. She wasted enough time crying, she had to be strong now, for her visit.

He must of heard her though because he suddenly spun around.

He looked startled and a very subtle shift in his stance alerted her to that previously never noticed fighting skill. Because he didn't look all ready to jump and lunge at the nearest attacker she probably never noticed such a fact before.

It was made to look like a causal and very lazy stretch-- his feet parted slightly and his knees bent and then seeing no threat he stretched backwards with a yawn.

She didn't want to know what he'd do if she was considered a threat this line of thought just made her all the more uncomfortable remembering her injured nose. She had never even thought he was capable of such…

Hate.

It still gave her shivers.

He was a lot smaller then her-- she shouldn't be scared but she was trembling.

It was cold, it was still cold!

And Odd _hated _her.

No, she corrected herself softly; he hated someone by the name of 'Xana'. Not her and that's why he was smiling that hesitating smile as he stumbled after her. Her feet had started carrying her unknowingly towards the school's exit.

"Sissi. Wait." He sounded serious.

She was just seeing all sides of the strange boy that she had never noticed before and now she just wanted things back to normal. To hate and be hated, in that soft, harmless way. How she would of loved to insult him right now.

Just call him scrawny but something was holding her back.

"I want to apologize."

She curled her fingers with sharp urges to strangle… so sudden. Even if he said that in the sincerest tone he could muster, she wasn't ready to even listen. He was ruining her life!

"Well I don't want to forgive you Scrawny." Did it hurt him? She sure hoped so.

She had enough of his teasing, joking, mocking… the silence that followed her comment was bliss. If not for the extra thud of footfalls she would of thought he gave up and went back inside.

* * *

"You look… awful."

What?!

She spun around watching his eyes widen the moment before she even slapped him.

That was **not** the thing to say.

She looked down at her mismatching outfit and frowned at her lack of attention this morning, what if Ulrich saw here like this?!

She heard Odd's footfalls had stopped and so turned to glance back at him skeptically. He looked shocked, was it really such a surprise? He seemed think so, touching his cherry red cheek as his mouth tightened into a slight grimace.

"You hit hard Elisabeth dear."

She slapped him again.

Why?…

Why'd he have to do this to her?

No one called her Elisabeth but her family and _dear _was a term of endearment. Ulrich was worthy of the title _dear_ and she had as well, at one time, been deserving. It was never in that teasing sarcastic drawl.

She heard him scowl. "What was that for?…" Of course he didn't understand, she'd never hit him for it before and he was always teasing: Sissi Dear, Sissi Dear, Elisabeth. Did she really never expect him to put the two together?

Even so she couldn't regret her unexplained actions, not when her nose was throbbing.

She wasn't going to talk to him, anymore.

* * *

Did Sissi _not_ know how awful she looked? Was that even possible for such a conceited girl?

She looked like she had been beat down and strung up to dry.

It made him at least feel deserving of the first slap.

It looked worse then he expected-- her nose. It was this dark swollen purple, that made his favorite color looking hauntingly ugly between her two sunken black eyes.

And it was his fault-- internally he winced as he now kept his distance back from her.

She probably wouldn't want him anywhere near touching her so a pat on the back or a hug was out of the question. Shutting out the easiest form of apology.

He didn't want her to hit him again even though he probably deserved it for payment on her nose.

"I don't suppose I could just buy you an ice-cream and we could call this even?" He ventured weakly. Already he knew that suggestion would fail. He could buy her a new shirt when he spilled ice-cream on hers but this was different-- he couldn't buy her a new nose. But…

Seriously what would it take?

And why wasn't she talking to him?

--

"Sissi?" No. He could not take a hint today.

He couldn't bare tense silences, they were the route of all evil: broken friendships and busted families. He always had to fill that space with sound if nothing else, so he continued now. "I'm trying to-"

She glanced back, eyes narrowed causing him to swallow hard, subconsciously.

She was not happy.

He began to fiddle with a loose thread at the bottom of his shirt. Anything to avoid that piercing gaze. "I just… I shouldn't of…" He didn't know why that glare made him so unsettled. Usually making Sissi angry made him laugh.

His stomach would bubble with amusement but now it was doing anything but that-- flip flopping was what it did now. He waved his hand out at the air, like trying to swat away a fly.

"I shouldn't of hit you. I have no excuse…" Except being delusional with fever.

She wouldn't understand.

"And I'm…" It was easy, as easy as insulting her, he just had to say it. "I'm- sorry. I'm really sorry. Really, really sorry. I'm soooo sorry…" He made it sound like he had killed someone close to her, and _that_ was pretty ridiculously sorry.

He squeezed his eyes shut and continued to mutter: I'm sorry. He just couldn't help himself and couldn't stop. He had no idea why. He hated the girl in front of him but he couldn't stop apologizing!

--

"You want me to forgive you Della Robbia?"

He nodded numbly. His ranting at a stand still. Was he hanging on her every word? He **hated** it. He could no longer take this situation as a joke and it felt like a piece of his personality had momentarily died.

"Then stay the hell away from me." That cold tone… his breath was misting but even so the wind brushing past couldn't compare to the chill lining every syllable in that sentence.

She might as well have slapped him again.

He felt… bad.

He wanted to brush the feeling off and smile again but his mouth wouldn't comply instead twisting in the opposite direction. It was Sissi, the selfish girl he despised, who cared what she thought of him! He should be happy that she never wanted to see him again!

He should be…

_Happy._

No. No. He… he just couldn't. "Fine! I _hate_ you anyways Sissi _dear_." But his voice trembled with something other then hate.

* * *

She knew that was a lie, the moment the words escaped his lips. This wasn't hate.

The way his face scrunched up and his hands fisted at his sides-- this was something else entirely and for **all** her knowledge she couldn't read the usually so open boy as he stormed off.

But it wasn't _hate… _not from him.

* * *

Odd didn't try to pull away when he felt Jim's arm hook around his own.

He'd been caught and this time he wouldn't try to elude whatever Jim had planned for him. The man was a joke though, ranting on about conspiracies. How him, Ulrich, Jeremie, all of them were involved in some secret _plot_.

Being as Jim had **no** idea what was **really **going on, Odd would usually have to hold back a laugh. His throat felt dry though and he didn't think anything would smooth it right now.

He had half the mind to ask Jim for a drink before he carted him off to where ever they were now headed but against his usual judgment he kept his mouth shut.

* * *

So he was left at the doorway when the secretary shooed Jim away.

Odd felt ridiculously lightheaded when the voice invited him in. He would have done so joyful just for the entertainment but now he only did it because his feet carried him forward.

He wasn't sure what to say to the principal: comment on the 'nice' weather outside, ask how his day was going, even just crack a joke to lighten the mood. The atmosphere was so heavy in here that you could suffocate something... Unsuffocatible?

Odd sunk unceremoniously into the offered chair. He really felt out of sorts.

What was wrong with him?

--

"Della Robbia." Odd was being addressed just for the sake of making sure he was actually listening. The principals tone was laughable but Odd's lips were sealed. "I needed to have a word with you."

Odd thrummed his fingers across his knee with little energy. "About Sissi?" He asked focusing on nothing in particular.

The man coughed. "Why yes… Elisabeth…" He was leaning in over his desk and Odd had half the mind to kick him backwards. It was a idea he restrained for a continued grip on his sanity.

"If you ever touch her again I will inform the police."

He gripped his knee. Right. He expected, he didn't know… a lawsuit. Some sort of punishment in the slightest. Why was Delmas letting him off so easy?

Delmas had sat back now reorganizing his pen jar. "When I first met my wife… I must apologize but I had thought she was someone else. See… my friend and I had this running game to sneak up on each other and tackle each other to the ground."

He smiled fondly at the memories. "It must have been quite fun back then and I had expected that when I heard her behind me. And I had turned around and tackled her-- it was a surprise for both us."

"But you must understand… What I am trying to say is, sometime a teenage boy just can't control himself and I just want to assure this will never happen again so I am forbidding you from being anywhere near my daughter."

Odd blinked rapidly. Startled, confused… Did Delmas have idea what he had said? Well… it was just a nicer way to put what Sissi had said: _stay the hell away._

"Now if you'll excuse me…" Was Delmas crying?

It was time for Odd to make his departure then. And not ready for another 'talk' he did so silently.

* * *

Odd sat in dim awareness during lunch.

He was trying and failing to shake himself out of this funk he was in by stuffing his face with food. All the while faintly aware of the go abouts around him.

His friend's were chattering lightly-- Jeremie and Aelita shamelessly flirting without even knowing it and Yumi smiling at something Ulrich said. _Lovebirds. _To caught up in each other to notice anything else, like Odd's brooding mood.

Then a group of two wandered past with their lunch trays whispering softly:

"What's wrong with her?"

And, "Who cares?"

They were talking about Sissi, her crying was so faint but her two 'friends' made it all the more noticeable by asking rather loudly: What's wrong?

Odd would hate if his whole life was an announced drama fest like _Miss Perfect _over there.

It was bad enough she was having some sort of breakdown, did the whole school have to know? It made him sort of angry to think she should have all that negative attention. Just let the dumb girl sob.

Odd shook his head, these thoughts needed to stop circling. "You going to eat that?" He asked gesturing at the leftovers on his roommate's tray.

A quick glance was sufficient. "Help yourself." Was the response.

Odd felt himself scowl, as he pulled the tray over-- dumb Sissi… The expression was out of place on his usually joyful features.

And his friends noticed.

"Is something wrong Odd?" Jeremie asked looking over the top of his laptop but Odd had already resorted to staring off into space, as he shoved more food in his mouth.

Why was she even crying?

"Earth to Odd. Calling Odd." Ulrich had leaned over and waved his hand in front of the unresponsive boy.

It was probably something stupid but it wasn't like he could go over there and see.

"Odd?!" He blinked rapidly at his friends startled expressions and pushed Ulrich's snapping fingers out of his face.

He set his fork down on the unfinished leftovers and stated quite bluntly. "What's wrong with Sissi?"

They were exchanging looks. This wasn't good.

"Didn't you know?" Obviously not. "Today's the reunion of her mother's death."

Her mother's death? Her mother was dead?

Odd buried his face into his palm.

She was mourning a loss and all he had to say to her was: _I hate you._

* * *

(**A/N: **I was going to stop there. -Snorts- Lucky for all of you I didn't.)

* * *

"Get lost!"

Finally managing to slam her door on her 'fan club's' faces Sissi took a deep withering breath.

It seemed like forever she was forced to suffer their constant muttering. Now the whole school knew she really was a… _sissy_. And it was more bothersome then she would have ever thought because she **did** care what people thought of her.

It hurt to know she was looked upon that way.

Hugging herself she turned and flinched when she heard the crinkling of paper. Slowly she bent down and picked up the small note. It was carefully folded in what once might have been considered a crane-- before she stepped on it.

Faintly she felt her heart flicker. What if it was from Ulrich?

She was falling back onto old crushes. Who cared if she couldn't have him?

Maybe, just maybe, this was a letter admitting his secret love for her.

**--**

**Nope.**

It wasn't.

* * *

(**A/N: **To bad for you though. I stopped here.)


	10. Frustration and Desperation

**Disclaimer: **Same old thing.

**A/N: **I have a crap load to say before we get to the actual chapter. Sorry for that. But it's nothing really serious anyways.

First I'd like to say that school started and they already forced two projects on me so I have to do those before I do anything else.

Also, I drew pictures for this fic, they are currently on my deviant account (if you are interested) the link is on my profile page. Next… well, I was original going to write something different for this chapter but decided that I rather do something more exciting for chapter 10! Because you know… it is… **10.**

I might have gotten a _little_ over excited though…

Chapter 10: Frustration and Desperation.

--

_I know what you want._

_Come to the Hermitage,_

_And you can know as well._

Sissi stared at the note in her hands with growing aggravation. Her hands started to shake and her teeth ground together as she stared at the perfectly aligned print. If this was a joke from Odd she would wring his neck.

Only Odd would say something like this…

After insisting that Sissi was missing the one thing she demanded most from her life. This must be his way, to get her to talk to him after she told him off earlier. The nerve of that boy! This was the **last** thing she wanted to deal with on **this** day.

She better go and give him a more stern verbal beating.

Obviously the last one didn't make it though that thick skull of his.

Scowling she crumbled the paper in her clenched fist.

This time he'd get it! She'd make sure he never messed with her life again, even if she had to crush every feeling he had. It didn't even matter if he never got over it, she just wanted him to stop complicating her life, she wanted him out of it.

Even if the last thing she ever got to say to him was: _Go away._

* * *

"I can't stand seeing her like… _that_."

Odd scowled at his own words as he skipped out of the remainder of lunch. He had the inkling feeling that he just had to get out of there, the moment the girl (of his currents thoughts) sulked out of the building.

**Anything** to get away from the invisible rain cloud she left behind.

He heard Aelita call after him but he was already around the corner and her footsteps thudded off in the opposite direction when he didn't reply. It occurred to him that he should probably head back and explain himself or _something… _but he just kept walking.

There was this awful urge to talk to Sissi.

--

Her room was just a few doors down-- around the corner.

This was when a student of Yumi's grade level brushed past him. This meaningless face wouldn't have caught Odd's attention at all if not for the vast amount of room in this hall. The stranger could have _easily _steered clear of him. And as such Odd stopped and turned around, wondering just what they wanted.

Whatever he was expecting… _this_ wasn't it.

They looked back and for a second their eyes met and behold… that it was Xana's symbol that stared back.

Odd was **absolutely** certain.

At least in that split second before pain exploded through his head and his vision went black.

* * *

He awoke with a haze plastered to his mind, which made it increasingly difficult to understand his blurred surroundings. He could just faintly make out the rectangle ceiling lights and realized he was laying on his back-- in the middle of an **empty** hallway.

There was no way he could have been out very long…

And there was **no** way that could have been XANA if he was still alive, intact, and not held captive.

Maybe he had just fallen asleep? Yeah right… and Sissi was going to admit she was over Ulrich. In the seriousness of the situation Odd resisted from rolling his eyes.

Instead he sat up pressing his hands to the back of his head where a splitting headache was forming.

"Ouch…" He muttered mutely as he supplied a small amount of pressure. His fingertips suddenly felt a sickly damp but his fuzzy mind couldn't connect the dots, at least until he lowered his hands in front of his face.

Blood?

Odd bit his lip and dug his hand into his pocket, silently wondering about the lack of communication from the Lyoko warriors. Did they not know about Xana yet? Or was it something _else_.

Jeremie should of contacted him by now.

Not that Odd was worried. Odd had COMPLETE confidence in his friends.

So, no. Odd had no doubt that his friend's were at least _still_ alive.

He was sure his phone had been in this pocket but it wasn't. Maybe he was wrong-- he just wasn't thinking straight, he was feeling _pretty_ drowsy. All these excuses but it didn't explain why his phone wasn't in his other pocket either. He always kept it on his person.

Something was happening. He needed to tell Jeremie. He needed to get to the factory.

He bolted up but staggered abruptly sideways, loosing his footing. He threw out his hand in a feeble attempt to keep himself from smacking into the wall. And half slumped against it, he dragged himself along for support.

_Never mind_, he probably couldn't make it that far.

What he needed to do now was review his options.

Where could he get his hands on a phone? --Nearly tripping over his own feet, he held closer to the wall-- Preferably somewhere close by.

Then it clicked… Sissi!

She would have a cell phone. He forced his pace to quicken, the ground seemingly bucking beneath him.

"This… must bew la-ike to chalk on the o… oh-cean's sur…" His head racked pain and his eyes stung as the words fell heavily from him lips. The letters sounded dragged from one to the next and made little sense to him.

He stumbled again, grabbing the doorknob before he crashed forward into it. He widened his stance as his knees threaten to buckle together and thumped his fist against the door. "Sissi! Sissi!" Wait… he wasn't even suppose to be talking to her.

What if she slapped him again?

What if her father called the police?

Hesitatingly he took a few steps back.

Still something was screaming from the back of his bumbled thoughts that none of that mattered right now. But he was having a hard time grasping this concept. He couldn't even tell if he was at the right door as he stumbled forward once more, but luckily it was unlocked.

"S-sissi?" She wasn't there.

And he may not have found Sissi but he found something else, as he fell blindly forward onto her bed.

A crinkle of paper, and all his concussion induced drowsiness floated away.

* * *

Jeremie sat in front of the three screens, fingers running over the keys as he examined their situation.

Odd wasn't answering his mobile regardless of how many times Jeremie called it. Which was strange because with exception of that time that Odd was unconscious and Sissi was dragging him through the forest he always answered.

But he had been acting kind of strange lately. Maybe it did have to do with Xana…

But what could be keeping him, short of possession? Which didn't work on them.

It'd be quicker to just deactivate the tower then to ponder this right now.

"You guys find that tower yet?"

* * *

Elisabeth 'Sissi' Delmas soon found that Hermitage was a maze of sorts.

Once she entered she had quickly become lost in the intertwinement of rooms.

She was growing increasingly unsettled in the gloomily and deserted atmosphere. It felt like someone was trickling their fingers down her spine-- and every now and again she swore, she saw something moving out of the corner of her eye.

It was **very **unnerving.

"Come out Scrawny!" She had ended back up in the living room. It was her third time passing through this particular area and so she stopped, scowling loudly at the surrounding dust. "I'm not in the mood for your stupid jokes."

She expected him to jump out any moment and startle her.

She thought for sure that this was just a dumb joke of a **not** so amusing boy but the moment she felt the clammy hand against the bare skin of her arm she had her doubts.

She almost jumped clear out of her skin. She screamed so loud that she was sure the birds in the trees surrounding this old house took flight. She was startled into the need to fight but her hand slapped out at nothing but empty air.

She didn't have time to grasp how quickly the familiar figure reacted because in a moment she was lying sideways on the ground-- covered in dirt and dust.

For a moment she felt anger at the fact that her outfit had been ruined.

Then suddenly her heart sped up.

What was going on?

She looked to the boy crouched nearby, his body tense and alert. He wasn't focusing on her, but then… he didn't mean her any harm? It was hard to believe that when he brought her to this abandoned place and then tackled her to the ground.

But…

She pulled in a breath ready to yell something, anything to get his attention. She was **very** annoyed by her own confusion and ready to take it out on the closest source when she felt that same damp hand clamp over her mouth.

What?! She didn't have the right to speak her mind?!

Her eyes flickered towards the boy in anger and even in the dim light she could see he had a finger to his mouth. The international sign for 'shhhh', even as he wasn't paying attention to her but instead peering around the couch they had fallen behind.

She scrunched up her nose in annoyance, unable to identify the odd coloration of the hand close to his own mouth but she knew the one directly under hers smelt of copper and iron. That should mean something…

Something _frightening._

But before she could ponder this line of thought she heard the echoing of footsteps.

This could still be a joke.

A very elaborate joke.

Maybe Odd and the others were just getting back at her for something she had done to them…

That would make sense. Maybe that was why the purple boy beside her didn't look as scared as she felt. The way he wore his emotions so openly he couldn't possibly be frightened --in this situation-- so whatever was walking passed on the other side of their hiding place, **couldn't** be a threat.

Sissi jumped up from her floored position. For a moment she felt Odd's fingers tug at her blouse as if he was trying to stop her from rising but his motions were lagging far too much and his fingers slid right off.

"HA!" She blurted as she pointed at the…

Unfamiliar figure. She had expected Ulrich, or Yumi, or even Aelita-- nope wasn't them.

Their head snapped around and immediately she felt unexplained terror rising up inside her as their eyes met. This wasn't just simple hate. No, this was… much, **much** worse--

She wasn't even sure how she recognized it but it made her want to flee as fast as her legs could possibly carry her-- because this awful expression was a terrifying thing, soaked thick with murderousintent. She couldn't even comprehend how far she was in over her head.

She couldn't breathe and the sudden realization lead to noticing other (just as unpleasant) things. The little bit of sunlight casting through the room brought her attention to the spot where Odd had grabbed her shirt.

For he must of known the danger of what was a waiting them. Not something she wanted to think about right now.

On her shirt was a streak, a very dark stain that ran its way to the bottom seam and in this light she could see just what color it was.

It was blood.

She may have not wanted to move her sights from the serious threat in front of her but she couldn't stop herself from wondering just how bad it was.

At the same time she worried that she might pass out if it was too bad. Either way her eyes flickered down to where Odd was curled against the couch.

Now she knew that was blood staining his blonde locks and sticking to his fingers.

It wasn't _too_ bad. Then why'd she feel so nauseous…?

Maybe it was the way he looked at her…

Was that worry? Hurt?

Was that was the same emotion she saw when he said he _hated_ her?

--

She hurt his feelings then, had he worried about hers?

And what about him now? Was he hurt that she didn't listen to him? Or… was he hurt because it was **his** fault she was here in this dangerous situation right now?

Was he worried about himself?

No.

He was worried about **her**.

Odd was joker and he ridiculously over cocky at times. And she had **never **seen him frightened, she had **never** seen him extremely depressed, and she had **never** seen him worry about anybody but his friends. And all these foreign emotions she had only seen in small burst.

But now he was worried about her and she was… terrified.

She needed to get out!

She spun suddenly around and tried to run.

It occurred to her when a number of colorful splotches were flashing into existence before her eyes that she probably hadn't even had the slightest chance of escape. She didn't know why…. But something inside her was saying this was a powerful foe. It felt like this wasn't her first time facing them.

Then she was on the ground. Her heart beating erratically in her chest and a gentle tugging pulling at her arm as short spasms ran through the length of her. She hadn't known she was screaming, she hadn't even been able to see the electricity sparking over her skin but now that it stopped--

She wanted this… pulling to stop!

Her nerves were unresponsive though and she couldn't even push the persistent purple blur aside. "Go… a.. way…" Her words seemed to slur together with her breathing and she didn't even think it worked at all, because the splotch of color still remained as her vision faded.

"Sis…

-me on… Siss-

See…

Siss-E!"

She felt like she was being dragged and at the same time she felt like she was being ripped every which way. And slowly she tired of the sensations and the small snippets of sounds and feeling, falling out of existence.

Last thing she remembered had been like drifting… floating…

Flying.

* * *

**Are you sure the tower's around here?**

Jeremie stared at the screen. "Yes." It wouldn't be the first time Xana hid the tower. "It **has** to be there."

--

This was ridiculous though, the amount of time this was taking… anything (horrible) could have happened by now. From mild injuries to… death.

It was with this frightening thought that an unidentified number popped up the screen. Very few people could know this number-- it _might_ be XANA.

He shook his head, that was a little too personal for the virus wasn't it?

Besides… it could be Odd.

**Jeremie!**

And it was Odd. But then that was expected. "Where are-"

Usually Odd didn't cut him off during a conversation like this but this must be exception because Odd --who loved risking his own life-- sounded absolutely terrified.

**Sissi… Sis-**

Jeremie frowned, not having the slightest idea what was going on except that Sissi was involved and the line Odd was using was buzzing with static. Traces of sentences were falling into senseless sounds as the troubling noise rose in volume.

"Odd, just tell me what's going on."

There was a jumbling of noises and Odd's seemingly frantic voice in the background. It sounded like he was yelling at some one. Not joking or threateningly but extremely, _extremely_, worried. But when Odd had decided to talk to him again his voice had mellowed out somewhat.

It only seemed to crackle as he struggled to keep calm.

**Sissi's na… ot breathing, Jere- Jeremie.**

Jeremie was sure is own heart skipped a beat. He wasn't certain he heard right. He couldn't of! "What?…"

He just had to hear it again but for a moment there was no response on the other end and then Odd seemed to be struggling to say it once more.

**Sissi's… not breathing…**

Jeremie pulled in a deep breath feeling his heart speeding up. "Are you… certain?"

**Jeremie! She's NOT breathing. Jus… tell meh what to do!**

"There's probably-" Odd cut him off once more.

**Jeremie! Just. Tell. Me! I'm… I'm not go… ing to let Sissi die! I don't care what you think!**

Jeremie didn't want her to die either but… "Check to see if she still has a heartbeat. Maybe she's still breathing but you just can't tell…" It was a very weak hope. It be hard to impossible to explain the principal's daughter's death. "Where are you Odd?"

There was a hiss of breath but aside from that no other sound from the other side of the line. But then the static had picked up again.

--

Jeremie switched lines. "Please tell me you guys found that tower…"

**Is something wrong Jeremie?**

"Seriously so Aelita…" He buried his face grievingly into his hand. "Please just tell me you are on your way to the tower."

**Actually we are having some trouble. It's really well hidden.**

This was bad.

--

**Jeremie…? Jeremie? I tha… ink Sissi might be breathing!**

Quickly he switched lines to respond to call. He wanted to say that was really good but at the same time he wanted to say: "You think?!" How could Odd not be certain of whether or not Sissi was breathing.

**Jer… e-me…**

Before he had blamed the crackling of Odd's voice mostly to the static, along with the rise and fall of it but now he could tell that it was mostly just Odd's tone in general.

"Are you, alright Odd?" If Sissi was barely breathing then what condition could Odd possibly be in?

He was at least conscious, that much was good.

But Odd seemed to completely ignore his question of concern, instead whispering:

**Sissi… she's na- ot doing… so well… and Xana**.

Odd's words were starting to make less and less sense but Jeremie just gripped his knees. He wasn't sure what was happening, but the words were slurring and struggling to keep volume. It was really unnerving the way there was no hint of humor to them… "Well, you could always try CPR."

**She was e-lect… ro-rocuted Jeremie, nat dra-owned.**

Why did Odd think he knew what to do then?

Jeremie fumbled over the options, the pressure was intense though.

Even if he was a genius he was placing his assumptions on someone's life. It made it difficult to think as clearly as he would have liked. He wasn't sure he couldn't live with it, if he made the wrong choice.

"It's probably her heart. Another electrical shock just might jump start it back to normality or it might…" He was beginning to doubt his own suggestion.

**It… it might what?**

Odd sounded more alert now. Like he was hanging off every word.

"It might just… kill her." Jeremie shifted uncomfortably in the following silence. "Listen Odd…" It must be really hard to be in that kind of situation but…

**You… dan't e… even know where the tow-tower is do… you?**

Had it been **that** long?

"No, but…"

**I'm going… to do it.**

"It's too dangerous." But of course Jeremie couldn't even hope for Odd to listen because the line disconnected the second after he said that.

This was really bad… the more he thought about it the more he doubted it'd even work.

It was **way** to risky but he knew there'd be no stopping Odd now. Not when he was all ready set on it like this. He could only hope the others would find the tower in time.

* * *

For awhile Odd had listened to the footsteps, coming and going…

Fading in _and_ out of existence.

At the same to time he hung onto his consciousness by the bleated sound of Sissi's breathing.

It took a huge amount of concentration to hear it, so strangely enough… it was keeping him from dosing off. He really wanted to lie his head down and sleep right now. Even with their lives on the line.

It might have something to do with the heaviness of sensations, his lagging ability to react and most probably the blood caked on the back of his head. But he was having a hard time thinking about this right now… or anything for that matter.

He only knew what he had to try.

It was knowing this that gave him the energy to pick himself and Sissi off of the floor.

He kept his arms hooked around her midriff as he edged out into the hall and seeing the shadowy shape coming around the corner he slowly crept backwards. Xana…

Heaving Sissi closer to him, he bumped into the wall.

He knew he was **scared.**

**Scared** this wouldn't work.

**Scared** Sissi would die.

Electricity was hissing and snaking around the outstretched hand. Instinctively Odd wanted to fight, or at _least_ try to shield himself against what seemed to be a ridiculously powerful attack. It was hard to resist the urge and he loosen his grip just slightly on Sissi.

He was afraid too much would kill her.

Because…

Xana would have no reason to end his assault, not when he got Odd just where he wanted him. The virus would most likely keep on it till Odd was dead and, **yes**--

Odd knew what he was doing was most likely suicidal.

If it could possibly save Sissi though (the girl that was only in this mess because of him-- then he'd do it). He'd never been afraid of risking his life before. Maybe his friends hadn't found the tower yet but he had always trusted them to do so in time.

Maybe not in time to save Sissi…

But it had to be in time for him.

He hoped--

**No**, he was certain. His friend's wouldn't let him die just like he wouldn't let Sissi die.

A smile slid onto his features as he tilted his gaze innocently towards Xana's host. "Nothing scary about this…" He said as solidly as he could manage even if it was more of a whisper then anything.

**No one **would die today.

--

Then again if Xana had anything to do with the matter.

Someone, most certainly, would.

Someone **would** die.


	11. This and That

Chapter 11: This and That

--

Aelita was staring aimlessly at her feet. "The pulsations are strongest here." She moved slowly forward, hands outstretched. It shouldn't even be possible to hide such a large tower on these narrow forest paths.

She continued her pace, the desperation to save their currently 'Lyoko Absent' friend progressed. It was dangerous to let anyone square off with XANA too long and they could all knew that, as they kept searching.

It was this aching feeling in their guts and chests that had Ulrich slashing at trunks and Yumi peering upward at the treetops and occasionally tossing one of her fans. There was nothing there… there wasn't even any monsters.

**The tower has to be somewhere else. Maybe my program is malfunctioning… **

For the most part they didn't reply except for Aelita. "The pulsations are strongest right around here." But with all their jumbled-ness she couldn't find the source. She kept walking.

**You can't see the tower though?**

Aelita gasped softly causing Ulrich and Yumi to halt what they were doing to watch her brushing her fingers over the air. "I think… I think I found it Jeremie." She lie her hand flat watching as it suddenly vanished.

**Hurry Aelita.**

She pushed forward, trusting the familiar sensation, despite the fact: she couldn't see the tower.

She was comforted to find the inside was visible and went forth to complete her task.

* * *

The cell phone rang _and _rang.

But no one picked it from its place on the floor and no one answered it.

It was several small inches from a pair of yellow shoes, which no longer held their owner up as the remainder of electricity sparked and frizzed off his trembling form. His fingers jerked with small spasms, his form sprawled out as he had fallen.

His heart was beating erratically in desperation and his breathing had picked up pace. It felt like he was choking, even as the hand had moved away and the majority of agony followed.

He could feel Sissi warmth against his back but didn't know what to make of it. She wasn't shaking like him, as he peered up at their attacker with one open eye. Xana was gathering more energy to his open palm.

It was as simple as that.

Odd could feel his heart throbbing in his chest and the breath caught in his throat. The coughs rose-- it was all fine and dandy if he didn't move but the action made his back arch and made the muscles spasm shortly beneath his skin.

He couldn't think how bad it was, his thoughts had been smothered by primitive instincts of: fight or flight. Though he could do neither. He wished he knew if Sissi was alright but how could anyone think of that when they felt like _this_.

He was past the point of understanding anything but: _that electricity is going to kill me_. That was assuming his aching heart didn't fail first.

His friends would find the tower in time.

A loud buzzing had grown in his ears. It drown out the sound of the ringing mobile and sound of his own heart.

His friends would be in time to save him.

The flickering threat drew closer but he couldn't find the proper nerve control to try and shield himself, as his vision began to blur.

They had to be.

* * *

Aelita touched the panel.

Code:

**Lyoko**

The codes on the surrounding walls began to fall.

Tower deactivated.

* * *

Xana's host went limp and they slumped sideways to the floor.

For Odd though, even with the immediate threat gone, his vision was still going black.

Even with Xana gone his condition wasn't fairing. His last strands of consciousness snapping loose with the faint realization that they must of made it in time. They must of…

And a familiar white light washed over him.

* * *

--

It was **SO **annoying.

Seeing _him._

He remained slouched over that trashcan probably debating whether he would hurl again or not. Then, suddenly his fingers jerked against the rim as if he was suddenly startled by his own position.

It was weird and uncalled for-- the way he suddenly threw himself back from the bin. It was like it had given him a nasty bite and he was now struggling to put distance between him and it. His arms hugged around his front and his shoulders shook with what Sissi could only assume were coughs. She wasn't sure if she should be concerned or not.

It was _really_ weird but she was still mad at him and _worrying…_

She saw his shoulders slump and his feet sliding out from beneath him.

Sissi was already on her feet, even if she was yet to realize it. She was moving closer, feet thundering beneath her but it wasn't the only pair of feet she heard. There were more and they were moving just as fast if not quicker then herself. She saw them coming across the grounds-- the whole group of them.

"ODD!" At least one of them proclaimed though she wasn't sure which.

She was almost there, they were almost there.

But she reached first.

Odd collapsed backwards against her legs before she could even ask what was wrong. His friends probably knew or why else would they come running so suddenly? Sissi frowned down at the unconscious boy, once more she was being left out of the loop.

_XANA_… It was a name she heard from each on occasion-- something to do with their secret. An enemy? The anger in Odd's tone when he struck her yesterday explained as much. What did any of that have to do with the current situation though?

Nothing…

She wanted to be **mad.**

**Mad** at Odd for fracturing her nose, **mad **at the group for keeping secrets, **mad** at Xana for existing (whoever they maybe), and… **mad** at _herself_… for not being good enough for the people in front of her.

She couldn't be a part of the worrying group of friends: Aelita, the frantic pink haired girl; Yumi, who pulled the motionless boy away; Jeremie, who had two fingers to Odd's throat; Or even Ulrich, who glared her down, disgusted.

She wasn't welcome among them as they whispered to one another. They may have not said 'go away' or 'get lost' but they might as well. She swallowed hard, "what's going on?" She tried to demand with her usual sternness but the tone fell short of perfection.

Ulrich was still staring at her hard-- as if it was all **her** fault.

It made her shift with discomfort before her hands curled into fist. They had reason to hate her, she got that, but how could they even think to blame her for _this_? She had no idea what was going on except that Jeremie seemed to be checking Odd's vitals, which wasn't a good train of thought. As if they expected the purple boy to be dead.

"He's just… unconscious."

But he wasn't dead and Sissi could hear the sighs of relief and feel the unspoken questions hanging in the air.

The sad thing was, that most of those questions, were hers.

* * *

Odd heard voices.

No big deal, he'd been hearing voices his whole life.

The only problem with these ones-- they seemed to be in his head.

"I can't," Up and down, the volume fluttered. "Find anything wrong." Feeling was tingling back into his limbs and slowly his senses were sharpening back to awareness. He pulled his hands to his face and sluggishly wiped the sleep from his eyes.

Warily he sat up and curled his back as he stretched, a large yawn rising to his lips.

"How are you feeling?"

Odd blinked dimly at the familiar voice. He looked down at the white sheeted bed he was laying in. It was rather strange, he wasn't quite sure how he got there. Shifting he glanced towards Yolanda and pulled a smile. "Wonderful, just a bit hungry. You wouldn't happen to know if it's lunch yet?"

Was Sissi…?

He shook the question out of his mind, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

And where were the others?

"I think it just started but your going to have to see the principal first."

Oh, right. So Sissi--

* * *

She had thought the worse but waited nevertheless and man had Elisabeth waited for a **long** time. So when the purple boy managed to stroll out of the room so calmly she had her doubts of whether he had ever been hurt at all.

"DELLA ROBBIA?!" His back stiffened immediately and she found herself facing him when he spun around.

"Sissi!" She didn't get a good look at him before she was nearly toppled over. The breath tighten in her chest the moment she felt his arms hook around her middle and felt his front so close to hers. The hug had caught her so off guard that for a moment she didn't know how to react.

Odd Della Robbia was hugging her. _Why? _They weren't even friends.

She shoved him backwards. "Don't touch me scrawny."

Why was he still smiling like that? "I'm still angry at you." He was still grinning. "You fractured my nose." Why was she smiling too? She forced a scowl back onto her face. "You ruined my day!"

Then he did the most surprising thing yet _or _said… "I'll tell you our secret, Sissi."


	12. Show, Not Tell

**A/N: Reviewers, you are WONDERFUL! **I never got around to thank you all before. You help me to continue writing just by posting… whether short or long I love hearing it all.

Okay, so school sucks, suck, sucks… they won't lay off on the projects. Keeping me busy… all I really wanted to do was write. Well here it is anyways. I hope it's everything everyone hoped for.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own. Nope, nope.

* * *

Chapter 12: Show, Not Tell

--

"Daddy, Odd is really sorry about what he did and my nose **will **heal. I just over reacted, I mean Odd was just showing me some of the moves he learned from Ulrich… it's my fault that I got hurt, I talked him into it after all."

Was Sissi a compulsive liar?

She did it so naturally that it was almost so believable that it was unbelievable (If that made any sense). And Odd knew about lying, his group had more then enough practice at it but they still made slipups. Sissi on the other hand-- a natural liar.

He wasn't paying attention, just nodding his head.

Delmas was saying something about being more careful around his daughter. That she was a fragile flower _or_ something to that nonsense. That her feelings might be hurt even if she wasn't and Sissi was arguing over him.

Odd really should of paid more attention but he was churning his situation over in his head. His friends wouldn't accept this, they would never accept Sissi… _easily_. What was he suppose to say to convince them though?

If they were on Lyoko and Sissi fell into the digital sea (no idea why they would be), Odd would jump in after her, but he would do that for any of them if there was even the slightest chance of devitalizing them before they hit bottom.

That's because they were all his friends.

And Sissi was his friend. He had come to realize this now and if he had noticed as much, who's to say XANA hadn't as well? Xana wrote that note to walk Sissi into a trap, not one of _them _but Sissi. XANA was using her against them **already**.

Or at least against him.

…

Not good.

She **had** to know about Lyoko. He decided this the moment Xana had cornered her in that alternative time stream. It was too dangerous for all of them for it to just continue on like this.

Odd could try to deny his connections and shove Sissi away but he already tied lines to her and he was pretty sure they were just as strong as the one tethered to the rest of the group. They wouldn't be coming loose anytime soon.

He just hoped the others understood.

Otherwise he had just fallen head first into a dark pit.

It wasn't looking good.

* * *

Odd smiled sheepishly at her and Sissi scowled.

"I have to ask the others first. It's as much their secret as it is mine. Telling you without their permission would be like reading your diary over the intercom." This time he was truly grinning at her and she could feel her scowl deepening.

"How do I know you are really even going to ask them instead of just pretending to and then refusing to tell me your groups big secret?" Not **Ulrich's** group? Well that was an improvement.

"You're just going have to trust me Sissi _Dear_." Instinctively he flinched back after saying this, he thought she would slap him, he remembered last time. This time she just snorted at him though and muttered something like 'Scrawny moron', under her breath.

"What was that Sissi Dear?" He dared to say and she snapped back instantly.

"I said: You're a scrawny moron." She snarled rudely, hands cocked at her hips.

Odd couldn't help it he took one long look at her and started laughing. She was alive, why was that still so shocking? It made him strangely happy too. That would be _so _weird, **if** he hadn't already decided she was his friend.

"What's your problem?!" Sissi was startled and confused, this boy was insane. "You're messed up Della Robbia." And she left him there laughing.

* * *

The next time Sissi saw Odd it was at lunch, only a few minutes later.

This time it was at a distance though. He hadn't so much as touched his heaping tray of food and was instead leaning it over it to speak the computer geek, Jonathan… Jeffrey.. Jeremie, she believed his name was.

He wasn't looking to pleased about what ever the purple boy was saying though and kept pushing his glasses up the brim of his nose, with his brows scrunched up in irritation.

"Sissi?" Sissi ignored Herve and continued to stare at the group, despite not be able to hear them. She could read Odd's expressions well enough to guess what was occurring. He was still smiling, though it had waned slightly since the beginning of the conversation.

Ulrich was speaking now as well, a glass of water at his lips as he tried to appear indifferent.

All of them were trying not to draw attention to themselves except Odd, who was about to fall forward onto the table as he continued to speak to the rest of group.

They didn't even seem to want to look at him as their mouths moved in response.

--

Odd's cousin… Aelita, was fidgeting nervously in her seat. Yumi was leaning her head in her hand staring intensely off somewhere to the right of Ulrich head, who was still sipping from his glass.

Ulrich suddenly put his glass down and probably threatened Odd since he sunk down into his seat, settling for pointing his fork at his roommate instead. Odd was joking with them, teasing. Of course they weren't taking him seriously.

They **had** to be annoyed.

She wanted to go over there and demand their secret but knew from experience that would do no good.

--

Odd had straightened up again and was speaking to each of his friends in turn. Trying to convince them of something? He was trying to be reasonable but they just kept shaking their heads.

Then suddenly, Jeremie who had been typing, stopped and stood up. He said something rather stiffly as he closed his laptop and stood up. The others followed suit, even Odd who hesitated and looked in Sissi direction for a moment.

Ulrich grabbed his shoulder and turned him around, this ridiculously serious expression on his face. Odd just replied with a grin, gestured to his food and sat back down. Ulrich gave his roommate one more stare down before following the others out the doors.

They were mad at Odd?

He was fidgeting now. Weird.

Had they made him stay behind when they ran off like they always did? Was that punishment for suggesting that she know their secret. That wasn't fair.

--

Sissi stood up startling her two cronies as she headed across the lunchroom to the table where Odd was currently sitting alone, seemingly extremely nervous about something.

The school population would probably spread rumors about this. She had no reason to go to that table if Ulrich wasn't there. Everyone knew that.

"Odd."

He didn't reply and instead started shoveling down his food so he wouldn't have to.

Annoying. "Can I sit down?"

She noticed he nearly choked as his face snapped up to look at her. What was his problem? "You might want to rephrase that Sissi, people might just start thinking you're a human being if you ask people permission before taking what you want."

Dumb boy really loved pushing his luck. Did he enjoy dancing with danger or something? She could easily ruin what little reputation he had at this school. She wouldn't though. Did he know that?

She sat down across from him. Might as well jump straight in. "So are you going to tell me or not?"

"I… can't." Just like that?

"What?"

"I can't tell you." For a moment annoyance flickered across his features. "It's dangerous to leave it like this though." She wasn't sure she understood. What was dangerous? "I can't tell you." He smiled. "But I can show you."

For some reason Sissi was certain his friends wouldn't be too happy about that.

"After all they only said I can't **tell **you." He stood up. "So meet me by the vending machines after curfew. If you want to know." Then he left.

* * *

They were going to be so angry when they found out.

A part of him was already regretting betraying their trust like this.

Sissi **needed** to know though. Or so he kept telling himself.

Would she even show up?

He was already standing by the vending machines and there was no sign of her. The only life he could see aside from himself was Kiwi, darting back and forth between the shadows.

Maybe she chickened out. That didn't seem like Sissi at all.

Maybe she just forgot…

Maybe something happened to her-

"Scrawny." It was a good thing Sissi showed up then, his thoughts had been headed to dark places. Now most of his attention was focused on her as she strutted her way over. "This better be good."

He shushed her, amused by the anger gracing her features.

"First…" He knew Sissi couldn't keep a secret and blabbed about Lyoko in previous timelines, she blabbed about **everything**. Unless… (and this was where things got tricky) it would ruin her reputation to tell.

"You have to keep this a secret." She looked as if she was about to retort so he clapped his hand over her mouth. "What's the one thing you care about most?" And he stepped back.

"Ulrich." She said simply and Odd had to roll his eyes.

"I want you to swear on Ulrich's life you won't tell a single soul."

Sissi pursed her bottom lip. "Is it really that serious?" Disbelief

Odd picked up his dog. He didn't need to say it, it was obvious. "You can go back to your room if you want." She couldn't really turn her back on this now. She was a part of it whether she wanted to be or not.

"No way." And she wanted to be.

* * *

If she hadn't waited so long for this secret she wouldn't of let herself be lead down a sewer grate. No, on normal standards she would never tread in such a dirty place with such obnoxious company.

Here she was though, walking past the skateboards and scooters leaning against the wall. There was five-- one for each member of the group, she noted mentally as they continued forward.

Sissi had decided not to say anything, she didn't want Odd to change his mind. It was clear he was at least partially hesitant about this. His friends would probably be furious because they obviously hadn't approved. These were Odd's problems though,

she didn't care.

Odd disappeared into the opening above her, one arm tucked around his dog as he climbed over the top of the latter and into the dark night above. Cautiously she followed-- what if this was all just some stupid prank of his?

"We are almost there."

They were on the bridge over the Seine, a busted looking building looming on the other side of the murky water. "There?" She muttered in distaste. It wasn't much to look at and it was kind of… _eerie_.

Odd must of caught the slight edge to her tone because he said; "you aren't afraid are you Elisabeth?"

How dare he mock her? She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Of course not."

"Good."

* * *

"Are you sure about this?"

Odd tried not to meet Sissi's eyes, staring intently at the keyboard in front of him. Honestly… he was having second thoughts about this whole thing. "Of course I am." He said confidentially.

He'd seen Jeremie do it enough times.

If he messed up though… but he wouldn't! That's all needed to know.

He had shown Sissi the scanners a few minutes previous and now directed her to go down into one. "I…" She was whispering weakly. Of course… she had refused going with even Ulrich when they first went to Lyoko-

Why would this be any different?

"You want to know our secret, **don't** you?"

She hummed softly. "Well…" Then she snapped at him "Can it Scrawny! I don't have to do anything!"

This was a mistake.

It was a mistake.

His friend would **never **forgive him for this one.

Odd stood up, by no means was he threatening in structure, he barely reached her chin at full height-- he was (despite all denial) scrawny but he hoped that Sissi understood anyways, his patience was running thin.

They'd been going in circles far to long. He saved Sissi life the first time and then she turned around and saved his but she didn't remember, that time they were even. Then he risked his life **again**, to save hers (she didn't remember) but she owed him one.

She owed him a favor and he wanted it now. "Sissi." He gritted through his teeth, one had to wonder if some of his roommate's personality rubbed off on him. "Get in the scanner."

She took a step back from him, her body language speaking of disbelief. "What's this really all about anyways? You guys have been keeping this secret so long. Why are you so determined to tell me now?"

That was understandable but Odd wasn't sure he wanted to deal with this right now. He allowed his shoulders to sag shifting from foot to foot. "I swear Sissi…" He mumbled under his breath.

"Or is that not it all? What if really you're just planning to leave me here. What if this all just a trick to keep me from getting Ulrich?!" Odd had to believe she was mostly just talking to herself now-- out loud. She wasn't listening to him anyways.

"As if I could ever trust such a scrawny shrimp to allow me to get closer to perfect Ulrich. I thought for sure he would get jealous, I mean… who can refuse **me**?" Well, that was conceited.

"And if not I could at least get close to him and convince him to be with me. But _no… _Things just had to happen like _this_." She glared Odd momentarily. This news wasn't new to him, he figured Sissi would just be using him to get at Ulrich.

Was she done talking to herself yet?

--

He walked over to her grabbing her arm, surprised she didn't immediately shove him away. No she was content to just insult him in her shock as he pulled her towards the elevator. "Let me go scrawny."

She pushed him aside and he pointed toward the closest scanner. "Get in already. Think of it like your own personal tanning bed Sissi Dear."

She glared at him then turned and stomped over to the closest capsule. She stared at it, then continued to stare it for the following 120 seconds. Odd rolled his eyes and clacked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"It isn't going to bite Sissi."

"Like I believe you." But she stepped in anyways.

* * *

Sissi was **less** than comfortable with this situation.

In fact she was almost positive that her breathing had quickened.

And she was **certain** it had the moment the doors swooshed shut, shutting her into this small enclosed space. A part of her wanted to scream but she bit that part back. What if Odd just left here?

What had she done to deserve _this_?…

No. She swallowed a shaky gulp of air. Odd wasn't that sadistic, she at least had to believe this much.

--

First a soft gust lifted under her feet and Sissi took it as her imagination but then it became an all out wind and her hair flipped up towards the ceiling and she was forced to close her eyes when they began to water from the stinging air.

Then…

It stopped.

Momentarily, she felt almost weightless-- it was as if only her mind remained, she couldn't feel anything not even her own breath. She thought that this should probably be a frightening sensation but instead it was… wonderful.

THUD!

She realized a sharp cry as suddenly she was butt down on the floor, legs sprawled out in front of her. What the?!

**I should of warned you of this fall. **

Came this snickering voice from the… sky?

It sounded familiar, strangely like-- "Odd? Where are you?" She looked around, first at the sky which was a clear azure blue, as it seemed the voice was coming from the there. The ridiculously tall treetops prevented her from seeing it clearly though.

Slowly she stood up walking to the nearest one and placing her hand on the trunk. It felt like bark, grainy… hard… She knelt down sweeping her hand over the grass-- dewy.

**How do you like it? **

He sounded **so **amused.

This was their secret? What was this place? "What's this all about?" Apart of her was annoyed the other amazed. Was this even physically possible?

They sky snorted.

**Didn't I say I can't tell you? If I remember correctly I did.**

She looked around again. It was so… empty. No life, no movement, not even wind; she suddenly had the instinctive urge to get away from this place as quickly as she could. "Can you… get me out of here?"

**Ready to leave already?**

She squinted her eyes, something was emerging from around the trees, she couldn't quite make out what it was. It's form was unfamiliar with her-- it seemed all arms and it was floating.

**For someone that wanted to know so bad, you sure are in a rush to leave.**

It was coming towards and she stepped back. Unsure what to do, it was reaching towards her and she stepped back once more. Then she stumbled, "back off-" she yelled at it and it caught her.

Her body was tingling, she thought she was thrashing but her limbs didn't even sway. Her vision was blurring and red light was flickering around her. She felt a sort of pulling, sort of like the airy feeling she felt when first arriving but more forceful.

She didn't like it.

--

**Scyphozoa! **

That was Odd's voice. She wanted to yell, she wanted out! This was a nightmare and she wanted out!

It seemed like forever. She seemed further and further away.

She heard the thud though, the soft cry and she felt the sharp jabs, that didn't seem as painful as they should be, hitting her over and over again and then… it happened. All the feeling went away.

* * *

How could this happen?

Sissi fell away to wireframe and that jellyfish backed up. He shot at the retreating monster again and again though the clear dome just absorbed the shots. He chased it to the edge and watched it disappear into the shimmering sea below.

Xana had been waiting for this?

Were they really that predictable?

It wasn't just a coincidence, that much was clear.

He sat down examining his purple paw, he didn't imagine he could just devitalize himself could he? He sighed heavily hoping Sissi was alright and for once hoping for Xana to attack so he could get out of here and make sure.

* * *

With a long whoosh and gust of warm air Sissi fell in a boneless manner, from the scanner. The floor catching her fall none to gracefully and yet she did not stir from it.

**A/N:** This is a long one...


	13. Wake Up

**Disclaimer: **Don't own.

**A/N: **Sorry for the wait. -sighs-

* * *

Chapter 13: Wake Up

--

Kiwi tilted his head, ears flicking back against his head as he gazed upon the motionless figure in front of him. A rather flowery scent assaulting his snout, humans might of described the recognition (Kiwi was experiencing), as viewing a unique color.

Of course he recognized it. It was the female that bickered in a painful volume and made his ears ache. That was constantly… _insulting? _Kiwi and his owner.

She wasn't moving.

Kiwi padded past though, sniffing at the base of a second scanner. It may have muffled the vividly familiar smell but his owner was in there. He released a sharp bark in recognition.

It might be considered a question: _what do I do about the girl?_

But Kiwi got no reply.

Allowing the scent of the female to engulf him as he edged closer to her motionless form, he slopped his slimy tongue across her face.

No… response?

With a yelp, Kiwi scampered off.

* * *

No monsters.

Odd drew a small circle in the virtual dirt with his claws. He really wanted out of Lyoko right now and so found himself shifting with unease. He fiddled with his tail then stood, pacing in a small circle much like the one he doodled in the ground.

He didn't know what to do with himself.

Was Sissi alright?

Why wasn't Xana attacking?

Could he have avoided this if he just listened to his friends?

A soft patter of noise and he looked up.

It was only a small monster, one with a few legs and one laser. Curling his paw into a fist Odd pointed it idly at the creature. It wasn't making a move so he made one, releasing an arrow in its direction.

Huh?

He missed?

But he was so certain. He released two more arrows, clear in the monster's direction. Then he had to doubt if his weapon was even doing its job. He turned his paw up towards himself staring at it dubiously.

--

A spark of red light had him shooting at the creature once more which in turn had no effect on it. Forcing Odd to bounce back on the balls of his feet to avoid the laser strike, which struck the ground a mere foot away.

He shot at it again, taking a few hesitant steps backwards.

One more shot from the monster and his heel meant nothing but air, his toes following suit.

With a gasp Odd threw his paws blindly out before him.

Stupid…

**So**, stupid.

* * *

Ulrich had been sleeping quite pleasantly, till something warm and sticky stroked across his palm.

Yes, that had Ulrich Stern up rather quickly. Back stiff, till his eyes started to narrow in realization, adjusting to the inky dark of his shared dorm room.

Though he could not hear the 'annoyance' he could see Kiwi's muzzle opening and closing and shushed him, wondering why Odd wasn't doing anything about his noisy dog.

Removing his ear plugs, Ulrich shuffled to his feet. "Odd.." He groaned in annoyance, nearly tripping over the still barking mutt. "Odd… your dog…"

He reached out to his roommate's bed and pulled back the covers.

"Odd-" If ever was a time to hit himself in the face with his own palm, it was now. However, Ulrich had more sense then that, staring at the lump of Odd's clothes, nestled in the boy's place.

"Damnit Odd…" He moaned to himself, turning around and reaching for his cell phone. As Kiwi began to growl, pulling at his pant leg. "Quit it…" He barked at the dumb mutt and dialed a number.

* * *

Jeremie didn't get much sleep, very often, and it didn't seem he would be getting anymore then usual tonight.

In fact… he had just pushed back from his computer and laid in his bed a mere hour previous and now he was forced to awaken to obnoxious ring tone (that Odd had put on his cell).

He fumbled to find the mobile, buried in his blankets. Then scrambled for his glasses in the darkness. "Hello…?" He muttered with a heavy tongue, rubbing his eyes with his free hand.

"Ulrich?…" Jeremie slid his glasses into place, listening to the boy on the other line. "Is that Kiwi?"

He rose to his feet, hearing a hasty explanation and nearly tripped to the floor, with his ankles tangled in his sheets. This couldn't be good, if Odd was doing something he didn't want them to know about…

after what he had been talking about earlier today too.

"Don't bother waking Yumi or Aelita… we can handle this." Shoving his feet into his shoes and tucking his laptop under his arm, Jeremie exited his room.

* * *

Odd released a breath that he wasn't even aware he was holding.

His grip tightened around the solid bit of land that was keeping him from plummeting into the digital void. Even if he was dangling from the edge, he had confidence in his claws. As long as he didn't relax those muscles in his fingers he would **not** fall.

Ha. That was a helpful thought.

Had to be hopeful that he wouldn't get a cramp though.

He looked up, tired of staring at his own feet. And low and behold, the ugly little roach stared back. "Shoo." He blew up at it, with all intention to swat at it, if it wouldn't mean falling.

And what did the smug little monster do? Charge up its laser of course.

Odd stuck out his tongue out at it, as long as he didn't automatically let go the moment he got shot, it might just be his ticket out of Lyoko.

It shot him too…

And he didn't feel a thing.

"You missed?" He muttered in disbelief then smirked. "You're losing your touch Xana."

He swung his feet up onto the platform and to his surprise, tumbled straight **through** the monster. Weird, huh?

* * *

It was no real surprise when they found themselves in the factory.

Ulrich releasing a faint curse and rammed his fist against the elevator's button as Kiwi ran tight circles around his heels. "Shut up." The dog didn't listen but instead kept barking.

Ulrich rubbed his fingers to the brim of his nose, muttering, "this better be good."

He didn't know what he was expecting but an unconscious Sissi was not it.

He was not the least bit happy when he saw the only occupied scanner open up and his roommate fall out of it with what sounded like a gasp of surprise. "I can… let me explain…" The purple boy was already attempting to defend himself before he even saw the damage.

Ulrich just shook his head though, not saying a word. He knew that to Odd, that was the worse punishment a person could get. He deserved as much though and Ulrich made this clear by ignoring his friend and crouching by Sissi's side.

Odd rose back to his feet, Ulrich could hear his footsteps approaching as he turned Sissi over onto her back. She looked 'okay' enough, everything seemed to be in order that is. Taking hold of her shoulders, he shook her.

She made no gesture, no sound. That couldn't be good.

Before Ulrich could even consider saying anything to Odd though, Jeremie entered.

He said nothing to Odd either.

In turn Odd choose to keep quiet for once, seriously regretting his choices but at the time, it had seemed… like a good idea.

"I don't think she going to wake."

That… wasn't good.


	14. A Deep Pit

**Disclaimer:** Don't own

**A/N: **No amount of apologizes will make up for how long it took me to get around to this.

And sadly it just feels like a filler.

**Ah**, there was a lot of mistakes I didn't noticed when I posted this... So they are now corrected. I think.

Chapter 14: A Deep Pit

I hate myself I do

Because I fear that,

I have killed you.

Maybe it's not on the surface.

And maybe it's not underneath.

But you lay as still as the dead.

So I can no longer sleep.

Odd was tired.

The authorities had questioned him and the rest of the group countless times and admittedly they didn't have the best cover story. It was the usual fall back: _we found her like this_. Which still brought a world of questions about why they had all been up that night when the school had a curfew. It was a bit fishy even if they weren't sneaking around together.

Odd rolled parts of that conversation around in his head. _I was worried about Sissi so I went to her room to see if she was alright and spotted her sneaking out so I followed. When Ulrich realized I was gone they came looking for me. _That was it but there was always more questions and each one dug deeper into his conscious- each lie souring his tongue.

It was all his fault. He wanted to say that it was all his fault.

The principal was on leave ever since his daughter had been committed to the hospital. Rumors passed about what had happened to the girl but no one was really sure. Even though people couldn't possibly be further from the truth it was still a constant reminder of what he had done.

Sissi was in a coma- this everyone knew. The real mystery was why. Some of the crazier rumors claimed that Odd had snapped and pushed her down a man hole for all the horrible things she said to him over the years. That of course was an unfair assumption.

The two of them had been getting along rather well as of late.

Other people claimed that Odd and Sissi must have snuck off somewhere together and were mugged or something along those lines. No matter what answers they came up with though, the only sure fire thing was that the Lyoko warriors knew the truth and none of them were talking.

The food sat in front of Odd- untouched.

"You should eat something." Ulrich commented in a flat tone that lacked visible concern. While the group had been mad at their shortest member for awhile they had gotten over it when it became obvious that he was punishing himself with silence. It wouldn't be right to scorn him when he was now so aware of what he'd done wrong. He didn't need anymore jabs at his emotional state.

"Yeah Odd, you'll get even scrawnier if you don't."

They were purposely trying to get a rise out of him- anything to return him to his normal way of acting. Odd began poking at his mash potatoes, looking grim. Though his friends spoke to him his mind was miles away. There had to be something he could do to fix this. He ran it over in his head again and again until he came to one conclusion: he needed to go back to Lyoko.

With this he slowly began to eat, if only to satisfy the others. He wasn't sure how to bring this to their attention yet so decided to keep quiet for the moment. The sky was visibly darkening outside the windows so he finished up and headed off.

No one said a thing to stop him.

An hour later he heard Ulrich enter their shared room. Since his back was to him though, he figured his roommate wouldn't know if he was asleep or not and probably wouldn't bother him. Maybe it was his lack of snores that grabbed the boy's attention though.

There was a brief pause in the footfalls and a faint sigh: "You awake Odd?"

It wasn't something Odd wanted to deal with so he continued to stare at the wall in silence. With the creak of Ulrich's bed and the click of the lights going out- he finally closed his own eyes.

* * *

He wasn't sure why but someone was calling to him.

The voice was familiar but he couldn't match it with any of the people in his head.

The world around him was bleak- starch white and cold. He rubbed at his arms but warmth refused to return. The chill was working deeper then his bones, it was penetrating his heart and squeezing it without mercy. There seemed to be no relief in this place- no matter what direction he turned.

_Della Robbia_

A chill passed through him and he whirled around, the breath misting in front of his face.

_Odd_

He thought he caught the sight of someone out of the corner of his eye but when he tried to get a better look no one was there. There was something wrong with him, that was all there was to it- he was just seeing things. Letting out a sigh he turned one final time and found Sissi's face inches from his nose.

His heart leapt and before he could register anything- he found himself falling… falling into the abyss.

Odd woke with a start.

The breath was caught in his chest and he was soon gasping for air. His fingers clawed at his sheets and Kiwi looked at him in alarm but there was no response from his roommate. As the erratic beating of his heart slowed he look over and found that Ulrich had gone.

His fingers worked there way through his damp hair.

It must have been the weekend. Ulrich must have left so he could sleep in.

Odd swung his legs over the side of the bed and slowly stood.

He could really use a shower- preferably a cold one that might actually wake him up.

* * *

**A/N:** I'll put more effort into the next one ^^;


	15. Bounce Back

**Disclaimer: **Don't own.

**A/N: **I hope this one is more satisfying… -_-

I'm just having a problem because it's been forever since I seen this show.

* * *

Chapter 15: Bounce Back

It was bothersome to know that he was making his friends worry. He was made of tougher stuff than this and should be able to shrug it off- or at least pretend to. All he needed to do was erase what happened from his mind and then he wouldn't have to worry about people treading around him as if he was currently as fragile as glass. He simply need to forget.

Odd toweled down his hair before plucking at the wet clump with his fingertips as he turned to face the mirror. He lifted the strands up from his face and examined the dark circles that had formed under his eyes. Why was he such a mess? He drew a smile onto his face but it wavered and broke and as such he tried again. A grin tugged at his lips and he found it almost looked right.

Why was he so upset anyhow? It was just Sissi and she was the spawn of all things irritating.

It wasn't like he actually _liked_ her, he'd just been messing with her head all this time.

"I'll show you what you want Sissi dear." He informed his reflection with a small laugh and a slight smirk.

"Did you really believe that… how could I possible know what she wanted?…" Suddenly he was feeling vaguely insane- all alone in the bathroom talking to himself. Not that knowing that stopped him. "You must have seen the foolishness of my claim." But then she had just been using him too, right? She'd been trying to get closer to Ulrich through him.

A sigh lifted from his lips.

No doubt she'd be fine when she woke. Would probably be thrilled at the amount of beauty sleep she got.

"What are you doing Odd?"

Odd hardly missed a beat despite not having heard his roommate approach. "Just admiring my reflection." He replied with a grin and leaned closer to the mirror, pulling at his bottom lip. "I think there's somethin' stuck between my teeth."

For whatever reason Ulrich moved closer probably secretly curious about just what that might be. It was at that point Odd turned though, opening his mouth wide. "What do you think?"

Ulrich sucked down a breath and pinched his own nose. "I think you need some mouth wash." He commented stuffily. With a shrug of his shoulders Odd faced the sink once more and began brushing his teeth. "I guess you must be feeling better today?"

Odd spat in the sink looking at his reflection in the mirror once more. "Oh yeah tons, and I'll tell you… I'm ready to fill my reserves back up." He poked his tongue out of the corner of his mouth in thought. "What are they having today, meatball subs?"

"How should I know… Odd, you're the one that keeps track of that kind of stuff."

With a small nod he rinsed out his mouth.

"Odd…"

He didn't like that tone and so cut across Ulrich. "So what were you doing this morning?" He questioned suggestively, lifting his brows. "Visiting Yumi?" Judging by the way Ulrich's cheeks flushed that had to be a yes. Odd laughed and made his way out of the bathroom.

This wasn't so hard.

"So how is he?" Jeremie questioned, looking up from his computer screen.

"Fine." Ulrich said uncertainly, "oddly enough." He leaned against the back of the bench. "It's almost as if he'd never been upset about it in the first place." There was so many things he still didn't understand about his roommate- he always bounced back like a rubber ball.

"That's Odd for you." Aelita said with a smile.

Yumi nodded and straightened up, she said something to Ulrich and the two of them headed off in silence. It seemed so strange with no one attempting to call Ulrich's attention away from her.

It wasn't long before Odd arrived, plopping down between the two geniuses. "Any news of Xana?" He asked Jeremie, taking a brief look at the laptop's screen. It looked as if he was simply working on some sort of report though. "So Jeremie… I was thinking about that time Yumi got trapped in Lyoko and that maybe this could be similar. What if Sissi only got partially stuck?"

Jeremie pushed his glasses up on the brim of his nose. "You think her consciousness just failed to get out with her body?" Though he said it he didn't seem very convinced that it was possible.

He might have shot him down too if not for Aelita's comment. "I think he might be on to something Jeremie. It couldn't hurt to at least look into it, right?"

"Even if it was possible we'd never…" His words trailed off as he noticed the smile falling from Odd's face. He let out a heavy sigh. "Sure we have time, let's take a look." He closed his laptop and stood to his feet, starting down the path they walked a thousand times before.

"Thanks Jeremie."

Xxx

Even though Ulrich and Yumi had walked off not long before- a single phone call had them at the factory as well. The need for them to be there was unspoken though. Everyone knew it was for Odd since the girl was probably already lost. They'd been given a quick briefing and then got into the scanners, even though they didn't expect to find anything.

They dropped like stones in the forest sector, each of them landing smoothly on their feet.

"Is this where you lost her?" Ulrich questioned, glancing about expectantly despite the region being clear of enemies or anything suspicious. "Nothing seems off."

"Last time I was here…" Odd started, bringing one 'paw' to his forehead. "I went through one of the roaches… " Maybe it had just been his imagination, everything was still so fuzzy. His nightmares were slurring together with reality and he could hardly tell them apart anymore when it came to Sissi.

"I doubt that." Ulrich stated and Yumi nodded in agreement, it looked like she was going to say something but Jeremie cut them all off.

**Xana's activating a tower. **

That was something none of them wanted to hear right now.

**I'm going to send Aelita in. **

* * *

**Read and Review?**


	16. Empty

**Disclaimer: **I do not own.

Chapter 16: Empty

So things were just a little bit off. Despite the fact that a tower had clearly been activated, there wasn't a single enemy in sight as they charged through the forest sector. Their formation was tight because of this: the three lined at the front as Odd took up the rear. "Doesn't even look like Xana is trying anymore."

Odd snorted at the comment, "It seems Xana finally came to his senses. He really stands no chance against us." He claimed proudly, though obviously speaking too soon as a beam struck him from the side- sending him skidding across the ground. He skirted several feet against his will and then flipped over to his feet before he rolled off the edge.

He bounced on his toes to regain his balance as his gaze came to rest upon his attacker. Vaguely he wondered if he had insulted the virus on a personal level but that seemed silly. Even if he was attacked first.

"What's the deal Jeremie?" Clearly Ulrich wasn't happy but that wasn't too surprising since he never really seemed to be. This time at least he had good reason. They had a computer genius on their side that was suppose to warn them about these sort of things but hadn't.

The question went unheard since a similar one had come at the same time. **"what happened? Odd just lost ten life points." **

A lopsided grin came to Odd's face, "And here I thought it felt like more." He shot a few arrows as he darted around the cube shaped enemy, drawing its attention from the others.

"Bloks." Yumi drew one of her fans, flicking it open as she answered. With a quick toss she dispatched Odd's opponent, causing him to leap backwards as it blew up.

"**That's strange." **

It wasn't really the response that any of them were hoping for since it left a lot to be desired. "What's strange?" Ulrich asked through gritted teeth as he swerved around a few shots of one of the two remaining bloks, before charging the monster. He landed on it and plunged his blade in as Jeremie finally got around to explaining properly.

With Odd's enemy removed he searched out another, aside from the two already engaged in battle with his friends. Something else caught his attention though- fleeting between the trees. It appeared to be floating, long whips of light trailing around it. Odd could feel his teeth suddenly grinding together and before he knew it… he was off, running.

"**They aren't showing up on the radar."**

There had been a moment that Aelita considered following but she wasn't much of a warrior on this world. She hadn't seen what had caused Odd to flee the scene but with his haste she figured it must be something serious. "Odd just ran off." She announced despite the conversation already taking place, they'd stop to address this new issue.

As Ulrich finished off the last blok Yumi glanced sideways at Aelita, "Where'd he go?"

"**I found him guys and…" **There was a pause before Jeremie continued. **"He's chasing the Scyphozoa."**

It never occurred to Odd that this might be a trap, even though it should have. The only thing that was on his mind was that this monster had done something to Sissi. The only sensible thing to do now was hunt it down and get answers- even if it had never showed any promise of being able to speak.

During the process of chasing it, it some how escaped his line of sight which was the reason he was stopping now- his tail thrashing back and forth with irritation. "Where are you?" His voice was still oddly light despite his mood. "I just want to ask a few questions."

A shadow fell across him and he whirled around but even though he managed to get a shot off, it had done him no good. The moment the tentacles snaked around him he found himself unable to move.

Reality was gradually fading around the edges and taking on odd hues as all the physical feeling left his body. There was nothing but a numb empty sensation in its place and a desire to free himself. He wasn't sure what it was doing to him- he didn't have anything to give like Aelita did. His lips parted, the presence of a word on his tongue but it was lost as a slash of steel cut across his vision.

Suddenly it felt as if he had been drenched by a blast of cold water, his insides turning into ice. He didn't have time to comprehend as a voice grasped him. "What took you so long Della Robbia? I've been calling you forever." Whether that was true or not didn't seem to matter. He found himself reaching out and grapping the girl by the shoulders. "What are you-" Sissi released a squeal of protest as Odd began to shake her and shoved him backwards.

The action staggered him and as his heels smacked backwards into something solid he found himself falling.

"Odd?" Her voice was sharp with fear.

"Odd?" Softer now, different. It wasn't Sissi he was hearing anymore but Yumi. From his position on the floor he could make out her shoes but nothing more and so slowly he pushed himself up. "Jeremie thought we might have lost you for a moment there."

He wasn't looking at her but rather the spot he had just seen Sissi, solid and real. There was no trace of her having ever existed though. Just the tall trees lingering in the background and offering no explanation. "Where are the others?"

"They're deactivating that tower."

He was still standing there when Jeremie finally called them back from Lyoko.

Where had Sissi gone?

**A/N: Read and Review.** And sorry, this one is **really** short.


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